Dear neighbors,
Since April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, I’d like to remind everyone to keep their eyes and attention on the road. Inattentive driving is a factor in one of five crashes in Minnesota and leads to an average of 53 deaths and 216 serious injuries each year.
Becca Nash, the Director of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), testified during a public hearing for my bill to fund several environmental projects (HF 2302).
Addressing Chronic Wasting Disease
As a hunter, I’m concerned about the outbreak of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease that threatens our wild deer population. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced that they’d discovered the first case of CWD in a wild deer outside of southeastern Minnesota. It’s clear that the disease is spreading despite efforts to contain it.
My bill to provide the DNR with additional funding to manage the disease (HF 850) is one piece of a comprehensive plan to address the outbreak of CWD. You can learn more about the bills that make up that plan here. The Star Tribune Editorial Board published an opinion in support of legislation to address this issue.
Reducing Carpet Waste
10,000 tons of carpet material ends up in Minnesota landfills every year. Just 6,000 tons are recycled. I’ve introduced legislation to encourage producers and consumers to recycle carpet that’s no longer wanted (HF 2267). Check out MinnPost’s article about the bill.
Protecting Pollinators
Pollinators are a crucial part of our ecosystem. As the populations of some bees and other insects decline, we must take action to protect these species. To read more about my efforts and other initiatives, check out this story from the Minnesota Daily.
As always, please feel free to share your input and ideas.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative