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Dear neighbors,
It’s another busy week at the Minnesota Legislature! Two of my bills were heard in the House Ways and Means Committee this morning. One of them (HF 30) invests $61 million from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund in projects across the state. The other (HF 91) bans perchloroethylene, a chemical commonly used for dry cleaning, and helps businesses transition to less harmful alternatives. I’m happy to report that the committee voted to advance both bills, and they’re on their way to the House floor! If you’d like to learn more about my legislation, a video of the hearing is available here.
I stopped by Black Sheep Coffee in South St. Paul last week to get coffee and a raspberry scone. If you can, I encourage you to support small businesses in our area. It will help local businesses and their employees weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
Managing Emerald Ash Borer
Minnesota has nearly one billion ash trees, more than any other state in the nation. Unfortunately, that means our state is particularly vulnerable to an invasive species of beetle known as Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). If it spreads across the state, EAB could kill a significant amount of trees in Minnesota’s forests and cities.
On Friday, two House committees that I’m a member of – the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee and the Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee – held a public hearing dedicated to this issue. We received an update on Minnesota’s ongoing fight against EAB and discussed strategies that could help communities manage and control the spread of EAB. You can watch the entire hearing here.
New Legislation Introduced
I introduced several bills last week, including:
- HF 402, which would help cities reduce the amount of groundwater and stormwater that flows into sewers and enters the metropolitan sewer disposal system. The bill provides grant funding for the Metropolitan Council to distribute among cities that contribute an excessive amount of groundwater and stormwater.
- HF 408, which increases the fee for using insecticide that’s lethal to pollinators. The revenue would be used to fund pollinator research.
- HF 639, which provides funding for the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) reserve program. RIM protects soil and water quality and supports fish and wildlife habitat by restoring land.
- HF 766, which strengthens regulations on seeds coated or treated with neonicotinoid pesticides that harm pollinators.
If you’d like to track these bills or other legislation that you’re interested in, the MyBills tool on the House website is a great resource.
Vaccine Distribution Update
More than 556,000 Minnesotans have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 159,000 have received both doses. Unfortunately, the supply we’ve received from the federal government has been limited. The Biden Administration recently announced that they’re increasing the vaccine supply to states. I hope our state can accelerate distribution and create more vaccination opportunities over the next few weeks.
Health care workers and long-term care residents and staff can receive the vaccine through their workplace, care facility, or local public health department. Educators, school staff, and child care workers will receive information about vaccine appointments through their employers. Minnesotans who are 65 years of age or older can make an appointment to receive their vaccine. You can find vaccine providers in your area and more information here. If you pre-registered for the COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program, you’ll be notified if you’re chosen through the random selection process.
Please continue sharing questions and comments. You can reach me at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn or 651-296-6828.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
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