Dear Friends,
It looks like another great weekend to be outside in our area. We should have some warmer temps, and maybe even a little snow. Before you start preparing for the Super Bowl, I wanted to keep you in the loop of what I’ve been up to in St. Paul.
Yesterday, I joined a bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators called the Legislative Task Force on Child Protection to unveil our plan to help Minnesota’s children. The purpose of the report is to review and advise the Department of Human Services (DHS) on the implementation of the historic investments in and changes to child protection law and the recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on the Protection of Children.
As with any report, this is a milestone that records our progress at this time and place; this report does not denote finality on the issue. It simply highlights our progress and prompts us that more work is needed toward the prevention of child maltreatment, reduction of racial disparities in the child protection system, better accountability and system improvements in foster care and out-of-home placements, and more evaluation and progress with Native American tribes to protect cultural heritage.
As co-chair of the task force, this is a very important issue to me. It’s not a topic that always gets a lot of coverage in the media, but helping our disadvantaged kids is something that transcends political parties; it’s one of the few issue we can all get behind. This session, I’m planning to introduce legislation to improve foster care and improve early learning. If you have any suggestions on child protection legislation in our state, I’d love to hear from you.
Lastly, I always enjoy calling attention to the great athletes of our area and celebrate their success. This week, I have a personal pride. The Little Falls Girls Nordic Ski team were the Section 8 champions and will be heading to Biwabik for the state ski meet. Congratulations to these girls and a special Woo Hoo for Amelia Kresha, my daughter.
Have a great weekend, and enjoy the Super Bowl.
Ron