Dear Neighbors,
We have a little over a week to go until the end of the 2018 legislative session. Much of our time this week has been spent on the House floor and in conference committees working on reaching final agreement with the Senate and Governor on tax conformity and an omnibus supplemental appropriations bill.
On Thursday, the House approved legislation that would recognize June 29th as “General John Vessey Day” in Minnesota. Many of you are familiar with General Vessey’s remarkable story, a story that began at the age of 16 when he lied about his age to join the military and fight in World War II.
After serving in Korea, Vietnam, Berlin, and elsewhere, he climbed to the highest peak in the armed services, overseeing the entire U.S. military as the 10th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, serving under President Ronald Reagan
A proud Minnesotan, Vessey was the country’s longest-serving active soldier with 46 years of service by the end of his active duty.
He passed away in 2016 and is buried at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.
Another bill that I was proud to support this week was Senate File 2849. This bill requires a physician to notify a pregnant woman of her opportunity to view or decline to view an ultrasound of her unborn child.
As a proud, pro-life legislator, I am happy to see this bill pass with bipartisan support in the House. We are truly blessed to have a pro-life majority in the legislature.
It is my hope that this bill, if signed into law by Governor Dayton, will help save lives as mothers who may be thinking about having an abortion may be provided with another piece of information that could impact their decision.
This legislation was already approved by the Senate so it now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Let’s hope he signs the bill.
Stay tuned for more information next week as things begin to wrap up for the year in St. Paul. As always, I encourage you to reach out to me if you have any questions or comments regarding state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4333 or via email at rep.josh.heintzeman@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Josh