Dear Neighbors,
Hello from St. Paul! We’re in the final days of session, and we’ll be here working over the weekend so we can adjourn on Monday evening. With the Governor having vetoed our budget bills, we're now working on a second set of bills. There's still a lot to accomplish, but I remain optimistic we’ll deliver a responsible budget that prioritizes education, middle-class tax relief, and road and bridge funding. I’ll be sure to keep you updated as we finish up.
We passed a major bill this week as we resolved the issue of Real ID in our state. We were one of the last states to create an ID card that was compliant with the federal Real ID Act. You may remember, we needed to be compliant with this new standard or the federal government would be able to bar Minnesotans from boarding commercial aircraft with our current, non-compliant cards after the 2018 deadline. The governor signed this bill into law, which means our residents have the peace-of-mind knowing their state-issued ID card will allow them to travel freely.
One of the highlights this week was hosting Paul and Jan Overgaard of Albert Lea at the Capitol. Paul represented our area as a member of the MN House from 1963-1966 and the MN Senate from 1971-1973. He has also been a wonderful mentor to me in the area of government and I have greatly valued his wise counsel. We recognized Paul on the House floor on Wednesday, a much-deserved recognition for his years of service to our area and our state. Thank you for visiting, Paul and Jan!
Again, I’ll be sure to keep you updated on our final days. If you have questions, please call or email my office.
Enjoy the weekend,
Peggy