Dear neighbors, Today, I joined several legislators to announce the 2022 Minnesota Climate Action Plan! This bold, science-based plan invests $1 billion in addressing the climate crisis and building a healthy future for the next generation of Minnesotans. Many of the investments it contains will also help Minnesotans save money and create good-paying jobs. There are lots of exciting proposals in this plan, and you can read about all of them here. I’m particularly excited about the plan to plant a tree for every Minnesotan every year for the next four years! I’m also excited about proposed investments in programs that conserve native grasses, like the Minnesota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and Lawns to Legumes. Investing in these practical programs could help our fields, forests, and friends weather the climate storm. Cleaning Up Pig’s Eye Landfill Pig’s Eye landfill is the largest unpermitted dump in Minnesota and a source of several contaminants, including PFAS, that have leaked into nearby lakes and rivers. While some cleanup has been conducted at the site, much more work is needed to address this threat to our environment and Minnesotans’ health. Yesterday, I chaired a public hearing of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee that was dedicated to the Pig’s Eye landfill and related issues. Legislators are drafting a bill that would bring city, county, state, and federal agencies together and establish a commission to explore options for cleaning up Pig’s Eye landfill. You can read KARE 11’s coverage of the hearing here and the Star Tribune’s coverage here. Advocating for Local Projects I also welcomed members of the Senate Capital Investment Committee to Mendota Heights yesterday. The legislators learned about the Pilot Knob site, an area that the Mentonwan and Mdewakanton bands of the Dacotah lived in around the year 1500. They called the hill O-He-Ya-Wa-He, meaning “a place much visited.” I advocated for investment in this important site.  Unfortunately, the senators’ bus took a wrong turn and they didn’t make it to Pilot Knob, but I did. Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. On Monday, I attended a commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. The event, which was held in South St. Paul, was hosted by the city and several local faith communities. It was a wonderful event and a great opportunity to honor Dr. King. I particularly enjoyed the work of Raymond Aaron Jr., a local artist who designed the program and did some of the murals in South St. Paul. Please stay in touch and let me know if I can ever be of assistance. Sincerely, Rick Hansen
State Representative |