|
Dear neighbors,
I’d like to thank everyone who joined Sen. Chuck Wiger, Rep. Ami Wazlawik, and me at the town hall we held over the weekend. Please continue sharing your questions and feedback.
I’m excited to be back at the State Capitol for the 2020 legislative session. Keep reading to learn more about what I’ve been working on and what I hope we can accomplish together in this year’s legislative session.
New Plan to Protect Minnesotans from Toxic Chemicals
My House DFL colleagues and I recently introduced a new plan to prevent public health disasters like the Water Gremlin situation. With input from many community members, we assembled a package of legislation that protects workers, communities, and the environment. The plan addresses many of the concerns that Minnesotans shared with me and other legislators whose communities were impacted by the problems at Water Gremlin. Here are some of the highlights:
- A statewide ban on trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Greater public access to information about environmental hazards
- Opportunities for community members to provide input on nonexpiring permits and pending settlement agreements
- More frequent and rigorous testing and expanded reporting requirements for facilities with potential air pollutants
- Clearer authority and better tools that will help state agencies enforce existing laws and permits
- Stronger protections for workers
Please click here to download a handout with more details. You can read a WCCO article about our proposal here.
Reducing TCE Use and Emissions
Thanks to legislation that we passed last session, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Department of Health (MDH) are working with businesses to reduce TCE usage and emissions. According to a report that the MPCA recently released, which you can read here, state officials have assessed 86 facilities that use or generate TCE since May of 2019. They identified eight that were likely exceeding state health limits for TCE emissions, including one in Minneapolis that was emitting 95 times more than the limit. The MPCA and MDH contacted each company and began assessing public health risks in the surrounding areas. Since then, four of the facilities have stopped using TCE. Three have reduced their usage and begun searching for an alternative chemical.
State officials will continue working with these facilities and conduct more assessments in the coming year. While this initiative is a step in the right direction, I believe the steps outlined in the House DFL plan are still necessary to protect the health of Minnesotans.
Be A Voter in the 2020 Presidential Primary
No matter what your party affiliation is, I encourage you to cast your vote in Minnesota’s presidential primary! It will take place on Tuesday, March 3, but absentee voting is available now. You can request an absentee ballot or check your voter registration status here. If you’d like more information about the presidential primary, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office has answers to some frequently asked questions here.
Be Counted in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census is just around the corner. This once-a-decade count provides crucial data that’s used to determine how much federal funding our state receives for schools, hospitals, transportation, and other crucial services. The U.S. Census Bureau will start sending information on how to be properly counted to every home in Minnesota in March. Click here to download a fact sheet with more information or here to watch a short video.
The U.S. Census Bureau must fill thousands of temporary positions to conduct the census. These jobs provide flexible hours and competitive wages; in Ramsey and Washington County, census takers can earn $22 per hour. More information about working for the Census is available here.
Free Resources for Tax Filing
The filing period for 2019 income taxes began a few weeks ago. Many Minnesotans qualify to file state and federal tax returns for free. Click here to find out if you’re eligible. Free in-person assistance is available at more than 200 sites across Minnesota. You can generally get help at one of these sites if you’re 60 years old or older, have a disability, speak limited or no English, or have an annual income that’s less than $56,000. Click here to see if you qualify and find a site near you. The Minnesota Department of Revenue also has a handy “Where’s My Refund” tool, available here, that allows you to track the status of your state refund.
Additionally, don’t forget to file for your Homestead Credit Refund or Renter’s Property Tax Refund. You can learn more about these programs here.
Stay in Touch
If you’d like to stay informed about what’s happening at the Capitol, House Public Information Services is a great, nonpartisan source for coverage of public hearings, information about bills, daily schedules, and more. You can sign up to receive regular updates here or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Please continue sharing questions and feedback with me as the legislative session progresses. You can reach me at rep.peter.fischer@house.mn or 651-296-5363.
Sincerely,
Peter Fischer
State Representative
|