Dear Neighbors, I hope this finds you well. It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached mid-October. The 2021 Minnesota Firearms Deer Season is less than one month away, starting November 6. As we look ahead to the deer opening, the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) continues to threaten our wild white-tail deer population. Please be aware of some protocols, including new mandatory testing in CWD management zones and movement restrictions. Not only do we cherish our deer hunting traditions in Minnesota, it’s also a huge economic driver, with all combined deer hunting activity contributing about $1.3 billion to our state economy. At the Capitol, we continue to push for enhanced reforms to cervid farms to prevent CWD from transferring from farmed deer to wild deer. Meanwhile, we all must do our part to help stop CWD from spreading and to protect our wild deer population. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Sarah Strommen has taken some important steps to help stop the spread. You can read more in the Star Tribune article here. I hope everyone has a safe hunt this season. Congrats, Town Square Television!A big congratulations to Town Square Television for being recognized for their stellar programming with a Midwestern Emmy Award! Town Square serves Northern Dakota County and provides residents with important public service announcements, local news, and coverage of community meetings. It was great to be with them this morning.  Bison at Spring Park ReserveAs a result of state and county collaboration, we are one step closer to the Spring Lake Park Reserve becoming home to a new herd of bison. Read more about how the Civil War impacted our bison population in Minnesota and across the Great Plains here.  Native prairie at sunset.  The History of Minnesota’s Constitution On this date in 1857, 164 years ago, the Minnesota State Constitution was ratified by popular vote. But did you know we have not one, but two State Constitutions? During the constitutional convention to officially find our state, the Democrats and Republicans refused to meet. After bitter debate, the whole (yet separate) constitutional conventions agreed to the same proposed language; however, they still refused to sign the same official document. In order to make it happen, two versions of the final, formal document were created, as seen below. Some things never change, alas. Read more here.  A good laugh for a gloomy day. October Revenue ReportsI’ve just received reporting from the Minnesota Management and Budget Agency that state general fund revenue was $657 million above the forecasted amount for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2022. New fiscal years at the state level always begin July 1. The latest Minnesota Management and Budget information compares actual receipts for July, August and September of 2021 to receipts projected by the February 2021 Budget Forecast. These projections are adjusted by laws enacted after that projection for the same period. While this is positive news, it’s important to remember that the budget forecast is a projection. As we continue to recover from the pandemic and work together to allocate federal funds to our cities across the state, many variables remain unknown. These investments in our families, businesses, and schools will be key to ensuring we can all get ahead and thrive post pandemic. Please take a moment to share your thoughts on how we can make Minnesota a better place to live, work, and play by taking the Minnesota Values Project Survey if you have not already. Thanks in advance for your engagement!  Keep in TouchPlease continue to reach out anytime at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn or 651-296-6828 with questions or input. I appreciate hearing from you. Take care. Sincerely, Rick Hansen State Representative |