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Clean Water Action Day
THIS WEEK IN THE LEGISLATURE
SESSION UPDATE
House and Senate finance committees have been meeting for the last couple of weeks, combining legislation into larger budgets, or omnibus bills, to be passed on the House floor. Next week we will adjourn for an Easter/Passover break, before the legislation we’ve completed will be debated and voted on in the coming weeks on the House floor. Once approved by the House, conference committees will be formed with House and Senate members to negotiate these omnibus bills, before being sent to the Governor for his signature. This process will take up the remainder of session.
CAPITAL INVESTMENT DIVISION BILL
Yesterday the House Capital Investment Committee approved our public works bonding bill (HF 2529), which funds $1.5 billion in public infrastructure projects throughout the state. Included in the bill are funding for the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Universities, local roads and bridges, water infrastructure funds, public housing rehabilitation, non-profit housing, and several local projects.
Local projects relating to the City of Minneapolis include the Emergency Training Center; a bike and pedestrian bridge over I-94 connecting South and Southeast Minneapolis; funding for bus rapid transit lines, including the Metro Transit D Line on bus route 5 from the Brooklyn Center Transit Center through North Minneapolis to the Mall of America; the 26thAvenue North connection to the Mississippi River on the Northside; the Central City Storm Tunnel; and an outdoor performance venue at the Upper Harbor Terminal.
You can find the House Public Information Services coverage here.
POLLINATORS
Yesterday, the Governor signed an executive order to sustain and enhance Minnesota’s environment and economy. Honey bees and other native pollinators have experienced declines due to habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, diseases, parasites, and more. Pollinators enable wild plants and domestic crops to reproduce, and many species are at risk. The executive order orders state agencies to accomplish three goals:
- Make sure lands throughout Minnesota will support healthy, diverse, and abundant pollinator populations
- Use pesticides judiciously and only when necessary, to reduce harm to pollinators from pesticides while retaining economic strength
- Make sure Minnesotans understand, value, and actively support pollinators
PASSAGE OF HANDS FREE DRIVING
Distracted driving is a factor in one in four crashes and contributes to 59 deaths and 223 serious injuries annually in Minnesota. Democrats and Republicans worked together this week to pass a bill to increase drivers' safety. There are a lot of distractions out on the roads, and our cell phones are a constant cause of accidents and distraction.
I proudly voted for this bill that will make our roads safer by requiring Minnesotans to put down their phones and focus on the road - and today the Governor signed the hands-free bill into law.
SENATE DISTRICT 59 TOWN HALL – MONDAY, APRIL 22
Please join Senator Bobby Joe Champion, Representative Raymond Dehn, and me for our Senate District 59 Town Hall on Monday, April 22, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Jenny Lind Elementary School - Cafeteria, 5025 Bryant Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55430.
We have special guests including Attorney General Keith Ellison, Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Senator Scott Dibble, Senator Chuck Wiger, Senator John Marty, City Council Member Phillipe Cunningham, County Commissioner Angela Conley, County Commissioner Irene Fernando, Park Board Commissioner Kale Severson, School Board Member Kerry Jo Felder, and Eric Nauman from the Minnesota Senate.
Topics include session overview, health care, education, budget, and transportation.
MINNESOTA ZOO FREE TO EXPLORE PROGRAM
Do you qualify for FREE Minnesota Zoo admission?
Free to Explore provides free admission for a qualifying guest and their dependents. Parking and fees for any special programs, events, or exhibits are not included. EBT cards are not accepted as payment for parking or fees at the Minnesota Zoo.
To qualify for Free to Explore, you must be enrolled in one of the programs listed below. Simply show the approved documentation along with photo identification and proof of Minnesota residency.
PROGRAM APPROVED DOCUMENTATION
TANF MN EBT Card
MFIP MN EBT Card
SNAP MN EBT Card
MFAP MN EBT Card
General Assistance MN EBT Card
MA or MinnesotaCare MHCP Card
WIC WIC Card or WIC Folder
Head Start Acceptance Letter
For more information, visit mnzoo.org/freetoexplore
13000 Zoo Boulevard, Apple Valley, MN 55124
952-431-9200
MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL TOURS
The Minnesota Historical Society offer tours of the Minnesota State Capitol daily.
- Free 45-minute tours are available daily
- Tours start on the hour
- Tours leave from the Information Center in Room 126
- School groups and larger groups are scheduled by reservation
Schedule a Tour
K-12 Field Trips:
mnhs.org/fieldtriprequest or 1-888-387-5008
Adult Group Tours:
grouptickets@mnhs.org or 651-259-3003
Contact the Minnesota Historical Society
- State Capitol Information Center: 651-259-3292
- K-12 Tour Reservations: 1-888-387-5008 or fieldtrips@mnhs.org
I encourage you to contact me with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas on any legislative topic. Also, I am available during select hours on Monday and Friday mornings most weeks for in-district meetings, if Northside residents aren’t able to make it to the Capitol. If you would like to send me a message or set up an in-district meeting, you can reach me by phone at 651-296-4262 or by email at rep.fue.lee@house.mn. I look forward to hearing from you!
Somali language e-update sign up page: http://eepurl.com/gjxKHH
Hmong language e-update sign up page: http://eepurl.com/gjxCHH
Spanish language e-update sign up page: http://eepurl.com/gjxIaf |