Dear Neighbors,
The 1st and 2nd committee deadlines are today, Friday. This means that by the end of the day, bills must have received a favorable committee hearing in both the House and Senate. If not, the bills are effectively “dead” for the year unless it is included in a larger omnibus bill, or Democrats waive the rules. Hopefully, this deadline will put an end to many of the extreme bills that Democrats have been pushing for.
With deadlines this week, we spent much of our time in committee debating and voting on dozens of bills. As the Republican-lead for the Children and Families Committee, I am proud of our work this week in the face of many challenging bills from Democrats. We did a great job offering amendments to improve bills and making the case either for or against these proposals.
Busy weeks like this one remind me of how thankful I am to have the support of you, your family, and our communities back home. It is such an honor to serve you in St. Paul and a responsibility that I do not take lightly.
Emergency Aid for Ambulance Services
Access to Emergency Medical Services like ambulances and other care are in serious jeopardy for communities in Greater Minnesota because of the current, outdated “fee for service” model. This has left rural areas of the state with decreasing access to ambulances and other EMS options.
There is no doubt that structural reforms are needed to provide a long-term solution to this problem. In the meantime, the legislature is working on one-time emergency aid funding that will help keep these services afloat.
A bill that provides this emergency aid received its first hearing in the Health and Human Services Committee. I am hopeful that it continues moving forward and that we can provide this badly needed aid to ambulances and other EMS providers across rural Minnesota.
National Ag Day
This week, we celebrated National Ag Day. This is a time every year for all of us to pause and thank a farmer.
In our area, farming is so much more than just a profession—it’s a way of life. Farming is a part of our past, present, and future and what we do locally helps to feed the state, nation, and world.
Thank you, farmers!
Staying in Touch
Keep an eye on your email inbox as I will be sending weekly newsletters discussing what’s happening in St. Paul and how I’m working on behalf of our communities.
In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share any thoughts, questions, or concerns. It would be good to hear from you!
I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn.gov.
God Bless,
Brian