Legislative Update – February 9, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Yesterday, I was proud to present my bill for a study to repurpose the 1927 American Legion Memorial Library in South St. Paul in front of the Economic Development Committee. My bill would help ensure that this historic building is preserved and continues to be a place for our community to use and gather in the future. I was glad to be joined by Ryan Garcia, the city planner from South St. Paul, who testified to the importance of this bill.
Today, the House will take up a bill to fund the popular Lawns to Legumes program, which offers grants and technical assistance to establish pollinator-friendly native plants on residential lawns. Since its start in 2019 Lawns to Legumes has created 3.5 million square feet of pollinator habitat all around the state. Every year thousands of grant applications can’t be awarded without more funding, and this bill will ensure the program will have funding going forward.
Combating Chronic Wasting Disease
On Tuesday, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, which I chair, held a joint hearing with our senate counterpart to get an update on the status of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Minnesota. CWD is a fatal neurological disease found in Cervidae (deer, elk, moose, etc.) and is spreading through Minnesota’s farmed and wild white-tailed deer population.
The committee heard presentations from researchers with the University of Minnesota and the Department of Natural Resources and heard public testimony from tribal leaders, hunters, and more. You can watch the full hearing and learn more in the latest Bluestem Prairie post, but the message was clear: The legislature must take action to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in our deer population.
Yesterday, we heard a bill to address and combat the spread of CWD similar to legislation passed by the House in previous years. This bill takes direct aim at the growing threat posed by deer farms—where CWD can spread quickly among captive deer. It also funds important research regarding testing and contingency plans regarding the potential transmission of CWD from Cervidae to humans or livestock. You can watch the full recording of that hearing here.
Environment Committee Update
This week, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee heard legislation creating a program to replace all lead service lines in public drinking water systems by 2033. There are no safe levels of lead, but the Minnesota Department of Health estimates that there may be 100,000-260,000 lead service lines currently in use in our state. This critical bill will help identify and replace these lines and prioritizes older and low-income areas that are more likely to still have lead pipes.
We also heard my bill, which builds off the federally funded Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to give grants to those who take part in the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) program. RIM works with farmers to use agricultural land for conservation purposes—increasing habitat, wildlife, and clean water benefits throughout the state.
Public Safety Bills
This Monday, the House acted on two important public safety-related proposals. We passed legislation to boost funding for the state’s public defenders—who currently are suffering from understaffing and pay equity issues when compared to public prosecutors. Minnesota is constitutionally obligated to provide legal representation to those who cannot afford it and this bill makes good on that promise. The House also passed a bill to increase funding for our Attorney General’s office to help counties prosecute complicated criminal cases. I was proud to support this bill, which was supported by our Attorney General, county attorneys, as well as the communities and victims who are looking for justice.
Stay in Touch
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and feedback throughout the legislative session. You can reach me by email at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-6828. You can contact my legislative assistant Sam O'Neill at 651-296-3305 or via email at samuel.oneill@house.mn.gov.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative