Dear neighbors,
Committee Hearing in West St. Paul
The Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee met at Dodge Nature Center in West St. Paul last Friday. The center was a fitting location for the first hearing of the No Child Left Inside bill, HF 133, a proposal that would fund outdoor environmental, ecological, and natural resource-based programs for Minnesota children. Throughout the meeting, we could hear sounds of joy from kids playing with kick sleds on the frozen lake nearby. KARE 11 has more information here.
Environmental education is more important than ever. Children are spending less and less time outdoors these days, and some lack access to resources like state parks. Garlough Environmental Magnet School, located blocks away from Dodge Nature Center, teaches elementary school students about nature and emphasizes the importance of getting outdoors. After the hearing, we had the chance to tour Garlough and learn more about how they incorporate environmental education into the curriculum.
Sovereignty Day
Today is the first Sovereignty Day at the Capitol in history. Leaders from 11 sovereign tribal nations will be included in the all-day event, which features educational presentations on history, culture, and the relationship between tribal, state, and federal governments. I look forward to working with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MAIC), a group that serves as a liaison between the legislature and Native American tribes and brings attention to issues faced by Native Americans in urban areas, and learning how state and tribal governments can partner more effectively.
MNLARS
While it’s clear that the MNLARS rollout caused great frustration, what’s important now is finding a way to fix remaining issues and ensure that the system works in the future. I’m committed to working with Governor Walz and others to take action on MNLARS this session. On Tuesday, there will be a public hearing for HF 861, my proposal to allocate more funding for the continued development and improvement of the MNLARS system.
The hearing will begin at 12:45pm tomorrow. Visit the Transportation Finance and Policy committee webpage to learn more.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative