Dear Neighbor,
This week’s fire in Alexandria has made statewide headlines and the city now is turning to recovery mode. Rep. Mary Franson and I are working on legislation to assist these efforts with bills that would aid in demolition and provide sales-tax exemptions for reconstruction.
Stay tuned as this situation develops, and thank you to those who responded to the scene and helped douse the flames before even further damage was inflicted. This is a big challenge for the people of Alexandria but I have no doubt that, through hard work and perseverance from everyone involved, efforts to recover and rebuild will be quite successful.
In other statewide news, House Democrats are scheduled to bring two anti-gun bills to the floor for votes later today despite bipartisan opposition. I will be voting “no” on these bills, with strong concerns they would violate the rights of law-abiding gun owners and cut out due process.
This includes:
While some people claim HF8 is about background checks for gun purchases, this bill creates new regulations that will prevent routine transfers between friends and family. In addition, permits to purchase would be limited to one firearm every 30 days, effectively creating a state level gun registry.
Supporters of HF9, aka the “Red Flag Bill” bill have highlighted the need to “temporarily” seize guns from people perceived to be a threat to themselves or others. This bill violates due process and will not stop those who are intent on doing harm to others. We have laws in place to remove guns from people who may be considered threats to themselves or others. Those going through mental crises can be placed on a 72-hour emergency hold for medical evaluation and potential commitment for further treatment. In cases of domestic violence, Minnesota statute currently directs officers to make an arrest if they believe that domestic violence has occurred in the preceding 72 hours or if the person poses a threat to the alleged victim.
Senate Republicans have vowed to protect the Second Amendment and keep these proposals from becoming law if House Democrats succeed in passing them.
Broadband has been another topic of discussion in St. Paul and we heard in committee a proposal to provide $30 million to help bring our state up to speed, particularly unserved/underserved regions of Greater Minnesota. Three broadband grants recently were awarded for projects in our district, including near Forada, in the Melrose industrial park and in the Lake Mary area south of Alexandria. Congratulations to the people who were successful in earning these grants as we continue working at the Capitol to close our state’s black holes of Internet service.
On a final note, industrial hemp’s niche continues to evolve in the ag. market. This plant, which was thought by some to be the next big financial breakthrough for farmers, is having growing pains as demand is playing catch-up to supply. Acreage nationwide has expanded so fast that processing facilities have not kept up. And as that supply has grown, prices have dropped, in some cases, dramatically. I touched on this subject in a column I submitted to area newspapers this week, so check your local publications for the full story or click here to find it at my legislative website.
Sincerely,
Paul