Legislative Update – May 2, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Last Friday in honor of Arbor Day, which is celebrated the last Friday of April, we continued a yearly bipartisan tradition in the House: handing out tree saplings for members to plant. We distributed Red Oak and Red Pine saplings from Schumacher’s Nursery in Heron Lake, Minnesota. Red Pine, also known as Norway Pine, is the state tree of Minnesota. Red Pine can grow to heights of 60 to 150 feet and live for about 400 years. This has been a tradition in the House for over 30 years.
Arbor Day is when we come together as Minnesotans to celebrate nature and help our outdoors by planting a tree. In a year when we are making historic investments in tree replanting to address devastation from emerald ash borer, I am glad to continue this bipartisan tradition honoring the importance of trees to our state and our ecosystem.
Conference Committee Begins
Yesterday morning I led our first “conference committee” meeting. Conference committees are made up of members from each chamber appointed to reconcile the differences between two versions of a bill—in this case, the Environment and Climate budget bill. I am dedicated to fighting for a final bill that honors our commitment to protecting our air, water, soil, wildlife, and natural resources.
Today House and Senate nonpartisan staff walked through the differences between the two bills, which you can watch here. We have a lot in common with our Senate DFL counterparts and have already begun agreeing on provisions to be included in the final bill!
Community Event
Spring is coming and I wanted to highlight this upcoming plant sale put on by the South St. Paul Garden Club, which will benefit the Dodge Nature Center Fund of the SSP Educational Foundation. I hope you can make it!
Legislative Audit Commission
On Monday, the Legislative Audit Commission met to narrow down our recommendations for final 6 topics for the Office of the Legislative Auditor to evaluate in 2023:
- Aggregate Mining Operations
- Department of Human Services Licensing Division: Support to Counties
- Grant Award Processes
- Metro Mobility
- Minnesota Housing Finance Agency: Down Payment Assistance
- Worker Misclassification
You can learn more about the work of the Office of the Legislative Auditor 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