Dear neighbors, I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and warm! Here’s a brief update from the Capitol, where legislators are busy preparing for the 2022 legislative session to begin. 2022 Education Plan All Minnesotans deserve to have access to affordable child care and early learning, a high-quality K-12 education, and the opportunity to pursue higher education. On Tuesday, House DFLers released a plan to ensure every student has the tools and support they need to thrive, now and in the future. As a member of the Early Childhood Finance and Policy Committee and a child care worker, I’m glad the plan invests in our youngest Minnesotans. Since the first years of a child’s life set the foundation for their future, investing in child care and early learning would have a positive impact on thousands of kids for the rest of their lives. Other Minnesotans would benefit as well. When families have access to child care and early learning, parents can work, employers can grow, and communities can thrive. House DFLers will also work to expand mental health resources for students, increase funding for special education and English language learner programs, recruit and retain teachers of color and Indigenous teachers, and lower the cost of college. More information about our education plan is available here. I’m pleased to report that Governor Walz’s education plan, which he announced on Tuesday, includes some of the same measures. It expands access to child care and early learning, for example, and prioritizes students’ mental health and social-emotional wellbeing. It also includes Paid Family & Medical Leave and Earned Sick & Safe Time, key policies that are included in our proposal as well. 2022 Public Safety Plan We also released a public safety plan this week. It invests $100 million in proven strategies to prevent crime, strengthen investigations, and keep Minnesotans safe. We know many people are concerned about rising crime rates, and we are working with law enforcement and local governments to find effective solutions. Our plan contains: - $40 million for Innovation in Community Safety grants to support nonprofit organizations working to address crime. These grants could be used for juvenile diversion efforts, community violence interruption, restorative justice programs, community-based mental health and social service centers, victim services, and more.
- $22 million for Local Community Policing grants, which enable more officers to build relationships with neighbors in areas with disproportionately elevated levels of crime. The funds could be used to support partnerships with community groups for crisis response and expand co-responder teams as well.
- $22 million for Crime Investigation grants that will help deliver justice in an expeditious manner. These grants could be used to hire and train investigators, purchase evidence processing technology, and more.
You can find more details here. Check Out My Legislative Preview If you’d like to read more about what I’ll be working on and prioritizing this session, I encourage you to check out the legislative preview that was recently published in the White Bear Press and Hugo Citizen. I wrote about several of the investments and policies I’ll be fighting for when session resumes on Monday, January 31. I’m eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback as I prepare for the 2022 legislative session. Please feel free to contact me by email at rep.ami.wazlawik@house.mn or call (651) 296-3018. Sincerely, Ami Wazlawik
State Representative |