Neighbors,
House Democrats and Senate Republicans joined together this week to pass a bipartisan bill to make our roads safer. Hands free legislation would require Minnesotans to put down their phones and focus on the road.
I voted for this bill because I know, from seeing distracted drivers nearly every day, that our phones are simply causing more accidents and fatalities. And the evidence backs that up. One out of every five car accidents is caused by distracted driving. States that have passed similar legislation have seen traffic fatalities decrease. The bill was passed by the House and the Senate this week, and is now going to the Governor for his signature.
Minnesota Values Budget
Minnesota House committees are introducing their budgets this week and putting together a plan to strengthen communities across the state through investments in education, supporting access to affordable healthcare, and increasing economic prosperity. Here’s an overview of some of the major budgets.
Putting People First
On Monday, the House DFL announced a tax bill which would reduce the tax burden on families and individuals. The legislation looks to corporations and the very wealthy - the top 1% - to strengthen our investment in education and health care. A fact sheet and overview is available here. You can read more from the Star Tribune here.
Top Quality Education for our Students
Three quarters of that new revenue will go toward education. We have addressed school district costs across Minnesota and acted to help stabilize school budgets. The proposed legislation will provide access to high-quality preschool and early learning programs, and help students prepare for post-secondary opportunities.
Infrastructure Investments
The transportation committee released a budget that prioritizes better access to transit for Minnesotans. The American Society of Civil Engineers rated Minnesota’s roads as “D+” on their most recent infrastructure report card. Bridges received a “C” and transit was awarded a “C-.”
A fact sheet for the transportation budget is available here.
Speaking of transportation, I want to make sure you're aware of an upcoming road closure - eastbound 94 in Washington will be closed from April 12-15 due to work to improve the I-94/494/694 interchange. More from the Woodbury Bulletin to help you plan around the closures here.
Healthcare we can Afford
The Health and Human Services Committee announced a proposal to lower the cost of health care, address the rising costs of prescription drug prices, increase the quality of coverage, and give patients and their doctors more power over their care. A fact sheet is available here.
Don't hesitate to reach out to me and my staff if you ever have a question or thought you'd like to share with me.
Sincerely,
Steve Sandell |
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