Dear neighbors,
It’s been a busy three weeks since I was sworn in for my first term at the Minnesota House. The legislative session is in full swing, committee hearings have started, and many bills have already been introduced.
Committee Hearings Begin
I’m honored to be Vice Chair of the Legacy Finance Division this session. I’ll also be serving on the Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division, the Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division, and Education Policy.
I’ve really enjoyed the first two weeks of committee hearings. I nerd out about research and policy a lot, but I’ve never had the chance to do it every day at work! I’ve learned about early learning programs, farmers’ mental health concerns, and much more. One of the highlights was learning about the Minnesota Zoo and meeting a few of their Zoomobile animals. I even pet a tarantula!
You can find a full hearing schedule and more information on these committees here. Agendas and audio and video archives for the previous hearings are also available.
Bill Introductions
Though it’s still early in the session, there are a lot of exciting bills already being considered. I’ve co-authored House File 2, a proposal that would deliver additional resources to our public schools and provide mental health services to students, and House File 327, which requires law enforcement agencies to adopt policies for sexual assault investigation cases. I’m also supporting House File 50. This bill would make drivers, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians safer on our roads by requiring drivers to use their cell phones only in a hands free mode.
If you’d like to follow these bills or others, I recommend using the MyBills Tracker. This tool makes it easier to keep track of which stage of the legislative process each bill has reached.
League of Women Voters Legislative Interview
Thank you to everyone who came out to the League of Women Voters legislative interview on Saturday! Despite the cold, we had a full room of people who had great questions about my views on various issues as well as what we’re doing at the legislature.
Stay Connected
One of my favorite parts of this job is getting to hear from all of you. Please feel free to reach out to me at rep.ami.wazlawik@house.mn or 651-296-3018. If you plan on visiting the Capitol, let me and my legislative assistant Spencer Crose know so we can arrange a meeting. Spencer is available at spencer.crose@house.mn or 651-297-8129.
I’ll be sending out these emails regularly, but you can follow me on Facebook for the most up-to-date information.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent our community at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Ami Wazlawik