Legislative Update – February 14, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Last week, the House voted to pass two important bills aimed at addressing food insecurity in our schools and community. We passed a bill to provide free breakfast and lunch for all Minnesota school kids. One in four students who experience food insecurity do not qualify for existing free and reduced meal programs—this bill closes that gap and removes the stigma of being a part of these programs. We also passed legislation to deliver $5 million in emergency funding for food shelves in light of record numbers of visits to food shelves last year. I was proud to support both bills!
Environment Committee Hearing
Today the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, which I chair, will be taking up several very important bills. We are hearing legislation to expand the wild elk population and range by working with the Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Chippewa, a bill that bans the use of deadly neonicotinoid insecticides on all state lands, and a bill strengthening requirements for labeling items as biodegradable or compostable. These common-sense bills are just a piece of the work we are doing to protect our environment for generations to come!
Our committee will also be hearing a bill to ban the use of “forever chemicals” like PFAS in a variety of products such as carpets, cookware, cosmetics, children’s products, ski wax, and more. Study after study has shown these chemicals to be linked to cancer and other health issues as well as contamination in groundwater and local wells. No one wants these forever chemicals in their bodies, and it is far past time to take action to ban PFAS. We heard about other bills related to PFAS last month, which you can read about here. The hearing will be streamed live on the House Public Information Page.
Legislative Audit Commission
I am proud to announce I have been elected as chair of the Legislative Audit Commission, which had its first meeting of the session yesterday. The Legislative Audit Commission is a bipartisan, bicameral commission with 12 members, six from each body. The commission appoints the Legislative Auditor and selects topics for the office to review.
As a member of the commission since my election in 2004, I have seen firsthand the great work our Legislative Auditor does to increase accountability and transparency in our government. The commission has made important bipartisan reforms over the last few years, including reforms to the budget process and performance reviews, and I am excited to build on that work this session. You can read my statement here and learn more about the Legislative Auditor and the work they do here.
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