Dear Granite City Neighbors,
It’s hard to believe, but we’re already over halfway through this year’s legislative session. I guess time flies when you’re crafting and passing good legislation. The Minnesota House has voted on several important bills lately, and I’ve been working on some of my own. Here’s an update on some of our recent work, along with a special Town Hall we have coming up.
Education Town Hall
Just as I’ve brought multiple committees to St. Cloud to discuss transportation, childcare, and jobs, I also wanted to make sure our community had an opportunity to come together to discuss education. On Sunday, March 31, I’ll be hosting an Education Town Hall with the Chair of the House Education Finance Committee, Rep. Jim Davnie.
Unlike committee hearings, this town hall will be a more informal event for you to come with your questions and comments on how we can ensure our students in St. Cloud have access to the education they deserve. We’ll be meeting at the Promise Neighborhood of Central Minnesota from 1-2:30pm, and I hope to see you there. You can RSVP to my legislative assistant, Tara Schaefle, at Tara.Schaefle@house.mn.
Special Education Legislation
While our Education Town Hall will cover the broad spectrum of education in our community, I’ve recently been working on a bill specific to the issue of special education funding in our schools. In Minnesota, and especially in St. Cloud, our special education programs aren’t getting the attention they deserve. The state mandates school districts to provide special education services, but then doesn’t adequately fund them. My bill, HF 1162, would allocate additional funds for special education programs to school districts like St. Cloud’s, who need it to support our students. I think it’s time Minnesota puts money where its mandate is.
Hold Big Pharma Accountable in the Opioid Crisis
In 2017, over 400 Minnesotans died from opioid overdoses, and more than 2,000 were rushed to emergency rooms for overdoses that same year. These are numbers that have been steadily increasing every year since 2010. While Minnesotans are suffering during this crisis, opioid manufacturers are seeing billions in profits while doing nothing to offer solutions. This is wrong, and that’s why I voted for legislation that meets the opioid crisis head-on while making sure Big Pharma pays their fair share.
You can read more about our efforts to curb opioid overdoses and hold drug companies accountable here.
Protecting Minnesotans from Sexual Harassment
The definition of sexual harassment hasn’t been changed since it was originally defined in Minnesota in 1982, and over 80 percent of women report being sexually harassed in the workplace. These are the reasons I wholeheartedly voted in favor of HF 10, which I’m happy to say passed with bipartisan support. This bill would update sexual harassment standards so that survivors are able to seek justice.
All Minnesotans deserve to work and live in an environment where they feel safe, fairly treated, and equal. You can read more about this legislation here.
Stay In Touch!
As always, I want to hear from you. You can call me at (651) 296-6612, or email me at rep.dan.wolgamott@house.mn. I look forward to hearing from you.
Go Huskies!
Rep. Dan Wolgamott |
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