Dear Neighbors,
It’s a great time of year in our area. It’s already April, and every day seems to feel more like spring. Our spring sports are starting soon, and I’d like to wish all of our local teams good luck as they begin their season!
Bills In Committee
Being a lawmaker isn’t about creating headlines or who can argue the loudest on the House floor. It’s about doing your part to make your district and our state a better place to live and raise a family. That’s why I’m working on a number of bills this week to assist those who may get left behind. Young learners, at-risk kids, and rural healthcare professionals may not have high-priced lobbyists fighting for their cause, but someone has to be a voice.
On Tuesday, March 29, I presented a bill, HF2670, to the House Education Finance Committee. This bipartisan legislation gives priority to children in foster or protective care, and increases the amount Minnesota contributes for early learning scholarships. We know educating our kids has an enormous impact down the road, and we need to make this investment now.
I’m the co-chair of Child Protection Legislative Task Force, and would like to see our work continue to pay dividends for at-risk kids. My bill, HF2683, was heard in the Government Operations Committee this week. The legislation removes the end date for the task force, and allows us to continue our search for ways to protect the state’s most endangered children.
A problem which plagues rural Minnesota is our retention rates of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). We’ve seen it’s difficult to attract and keep APRNs in many parts of our state, but need to figure out why. I presented a bill in committee, HF3269, to study why rural Minnesota sees such low retention rates but high turnover for APRNs. We can make our area, and communities like ours, an ideal place for nurses and other healthcare professionals.
I know these bills aren’t flashy, and may not make headlines in the Star Tribune or on the evening news in the Twin Cities. But our state needs legislators to stand up for those who don’t always get a seat at the table. I look forward to helping these bills through the legislative process, and am hopeful some, if not all, become law.
REAL ID
This week, the House passed a provision to start Minnesota on a path to compliance with the federal REAL ID Act. The legislation allows the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to research the steps we need to take for compliance. DPS can now research REAL ID, and request extensions beyond the current 2018 deadline. We needed to make sure Minnesotans could fly with their current ID, and this bill starts us down that road. There’s no reason to worry about REAL ID compliance, we’re taking care of it.
Please Contact Me
During session, I hope you'll contact my office to schedule a meeting. Otherwise, please send your comments via email to rep.ron.kresha@house.mn or call my office at 651-296-4247.
Your input is needed, and helps me better represent your voices here at the Capitol.
Have a great weekend,
Ron