Legislative Update – April 12, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
I hope you were able to get out this weekend and enjoy the wonderful weather we are having! Saturday, April 22nd is Earth Day, and Friday, April 28th is Arbor Day, so it is a great time to celebrate our environment and natural resources. I wanted to take a moment to highlight some community events coming up in our district this month:
- 2023 Environmental Expo on Saturday, April 15th from 9 am to Noon at 100 7th Ave. N., South St. Paul
- Annual South St. Paul River Clean-up on Saturday, April 22nd from 10 am to Noon meeting at the spiral bridge on the crossroads of Grand and Hardman (200 Hardman Ave N gets you really close).
- Blue Birding 101 on Thursday, April 27th from 6:30 pm to 8 pm at the South St. Paul City Hall
You can find more details in the flyers below or by contacting Deb Griffith, the South St. Paul Community Affair Liaison at deb.griffith@southstpaul.org.
Committee Hearing
Yesterday, I had one of my final bill hearings of the 2023 session as we transition to voting on budget bills on the House Floor and working out differences with our Senate partners.
I presented three bills in front of the Ways and Means Committee, including the 2023 State Lands Bill and a bill to address safety concerns at the DNR’s Drill Core Library in Hibbing, Minnesota. Finally, I presented the 2023 Environment and Natural Resource Budget Bill, which was merged with the 2023 Climate and Energy Budget Bill and is heading to the floor for a final vote! You can watch my remarks here.
Protecting Democracy – Solidarity with Tennessee Lawmakers
Last week, I co-signed a letter standing in solidarity with Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson as they faced the threat of expulsion for simply standing with the people they are elected to serve. As you may have heard, Representatives Jones and Pearson were expelled, though I am glad to share that Representative Jones was reinstated by the Nashville City Council yesterday. We must respect the right to peacefully protest and protect against attacks on democracy everywhere.
This week, the Minnesota House will take up H.F. 3, or the Democracy for the People Act. This bill will strengthen ballot access, make it easier to vote by mail, prohibit voter intimidation and harassment, and close dark money loopholes that allow corporations to have too much influence in our system. I will be proud to cast my vote in support of this legislation later this week.
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