Legislative Update – November 21, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
Last week the Capital Investment Committee finished our statewide bonding tour hearing about local projects seeking funding in the 2024 capital investment bill.
As with every bonding tour, I appreciated the chance to see firsthand the needs of communities all across Minnesota. I was proud to host the committee in South St. Paul and introduce many projects for cities in our district.
As a member of the Capital Investment Committee, I am looking forward to working this upcoming session to craft a strong, smart, bonding bill that will help Minnesotans across the state. You can read more in Chair Fue Lee’s press release here.
Pollinator News Update
On Sunday, December 10th I will be hosting an information session at the Croatian Hall about the legislature’s popular Lawns to Legumes program, which helps homeowners make their lawns and gardens more pollinator-friendly through individual grants and technical assistance.
I will be joined by MN Board of Water and Soil Resources staff as well as Dr. Marla Spivak, the University of Minnesota’s top pollinator researcher.
I also wanted to highlight some great research that was recently published and was partially funded by the legislature. The Minnesota Native Bee Atlas is a research project from the University of Minnesota that relies on volunteers to learn more about the distribution and diversity of native bees in Minnesota.
A recent scientific review of the project showed that volunteers were integral in identifying new species of bees that were previously unconfirmed in our state. You can read the paper here.
High School Page Program Seeking Applicants
Applications are open for the High School Page Program with the Minnesota House of Representatives! High School juniors are invited to apply for a weeklong learning opportunity at the state capitol to work directly with state representatives on committees and during proceedings on the House Floor.
Applications are due November 22nd. Please feel free to share this with your networks and any high school junior who may be interested in participating. More information, including how to apply, can be found 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