Dear Neighbors:
Thanks to the neighbors who joined Sunday’s Chat with Dave and the more than 250 (!) early-childhood advocates who attended yesterday's Prenatal to Three Policy Forum. These were great ways to start the first full week and first committee meetings of the legislative session.
Minnesota Values Agenda
On Wednesday, my DFL colleagues and I introduced the Minnesota Values agenda. These first ten bills state our values up front and are a snapshot of what we’ll be working on this session. I’m pleased that the set includes the two proposals for gun violence prevention - criminal background checks and extreme risk protection orders - that I’ve championed for the past several years. It also includes paid family and sick leave, support for school counselors and other student-support services, allowing everyone to buy into the MinnesotaCare health care plan, and much more. You can read more about the first ten bills here.
House File 1: Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act
I’m thrilled to let you know that the caucus’ early-childhood bill is House File 1, the very first bill for the session, a prestigious position. The Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act would help close disparities in prenatal care, expand home visiting, and significantly increase support for early development. Senate Republicans have announced that child care will be one of their highest priorities, and there are strong positive signs from the new Walz-Flanagan administration as well. This may well be the session where we ensure that all children get off to a #GreatStartMN.
Committee Meetings Begin
Again, committees hold their first meetings this week. You can find a full schedule here.
The new Early Childhood Finance & Policy committee, which I chair, meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:00am to 9:30am, at Capitol 120. I believe that many of the meetings will be webcast as well. Please join us for the first meeting tomorrow or for any other meeting. Further information, including the chance to subscribe to notices, is at the committee page: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/Committees/home/91018.
Stay Connected
Please keep in touch! My office at the Capitol is Room 439 in the State Office Building. But the best way to catch me is to make an appointment with my legislative assistant, Polly Cerkvenik, a constituent who knows our community well. Polly's contact info is available on my legislative web page. For up-to-the-minute updates, be sure to subscribe to my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter.
Thank you for the honor of serving our community. Please reach out anytime.
Dave Pinto
State Representative, District 64B
321 State Office Building
(651) 296-4199
www.house.leg.state.mn.us/64b
Subscribe to my email updates: www.house.leg.state.mn.us/64b
Follow my office on Facebook: facebook.com/repdavepinto