Legislative Update – August 14, 2023
Dear neighbors,
Last week I attended a ribbon cutting for the City of South St. Paul, Minnesota Concord Street revitalization project. Using state, federal, and city funds, the new rebuild focused on revitalization, improved safety, and increased mobility. You can find more information on SSP’s Concord Street Improvements project site. Photo Credit: Carlo James LaManna
Minnesota Leading at National Legislator Conference
This past week I participated in the annual legislative conferences for the National Caucus of State Legislators (NCSL) and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) in Indianapolis. These bipartisan conferences bring legislators from across the country together to learn lessons on governance and policymaking, and this year we brought a lot of lessons from our successful 2023 legislative session!
On Saturday, I gave a presentation on leadership in pollinator protection and pesticide legislation—an area Minnesota is ahead on, which was timely given this Saturday is National Honey Bee Day!
As co-chair of the NCSL Agriculture Task Force, I led a visit to the Indiana state fair and this morning I participated in a presentation about our economic and workforce recovery under President Biden! I am also proud to share that Rep. Sydney Jordan, my vice chair on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, was recognized as a rising environmental leader this year!
Nursing Home Funding
On Aug. 1, nursing homes received a significant amount of new state funding as part of a bipartisan agreement to stabilize a sector of the economy that is facing financial hardship. Local nursing homes will receive another significant one-time payment on Aug. 1, 2024.
Building upon our commitment to support our most vulnerable Minnesotans and the workers who care for them, the Legislature appropriated record amounts of funding for our state’s nursing homes, including $192,830 for Norris Square in Cottage Grove, $271,152 for Woodlyn Heights Healthcare Center in Inver Grove Heights, and $204,880 for Good Samaritan Society in Inver Grove Heights.
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