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Dear Granite City Neighbors,
I hope your summer treated you well. With the State Fair over, football returning, and school starting up again, it’s about time for us to fully embrace fall. But don’t let the cooler temperatures or the lack of Pronto Pups get you down, I’ve got some exciting events planned for our community in the coming months, the first of which you’ll hear about here, along with other projects I’ve been working on for St. Cloud and the surrounding communities.
Northstar & MAC Bonding
This week, I was honored to welcome the House Capital Investment Committee, on which I serve, as they started their Fall Bonding Tour. This tour is meant to showcase projects across the state that could use that extra boost of state investment in order to properly meet the needs of the community and the state.
In St. Cloud, we toured the St. Cloud Station, which would potentially serve as a stop for the Northstar Commuter Rail, and the Municipal Athletic Complex. I will be advocating for both locations to get the resources they need to better serve the St. Cloud community and Central Minnesota. I always enjoy showing off our city to my colleagues, and this tour was no different! I spoke with Fox 9 on the importance of investing in the future of St. Cloud, and you can watch that here.
St. Cloud Correctional Facility
Within the past year, two corrections officers tragically lost their lives in Minnesota prisons. This is unacceptable, and has weighed heavily on my mind and in the work that I do as the vice chair of the House Corrections Division. From my first day in office, the safety and security of our correctional facilities, and our surrounding community, has been a top priority. While I’m proud of the significant improvements we were able to achieve this past session, my recent visit to the St. Cloud Correctional Facility proved that more work remains to be done.
Safety and security upgrades are needed for the infrastructure of the 130 year old facility, and since it serves as the first stop in Minnesota’s correctional system, we need to update our intake facility. I remain committed to using my positions in the House Corrections Division and the House Capital Investment Committee to make sure the St. Cloud Correctional Facility is supported to a standard where our community is safe, the incarcerated are secure, and our corrections officers are able to go home to their families after a day’s work. You can read more about my visit in my St. Cloud Times op-ed.
St. Cloud Town Halls
As much as possible, I try to bring a little bit of the Capitol to St. Cloud. From the Transportation Field Hearing I held on Northstar, to bringing the Chair of the Education Division to discuss the funding needs of our schools. This fall, I’m excited to continue that trend with several issue-specific Town Halls that’ll enable voices in our community to be heard, and I hope I’ll see you there!
- Community Conversation on Insulin and Prescription Drugs: Something I’ve heard a lot about at the doors lately has been a growing concern over the rising costs of prescription drugs, especially when it comes to insulin. This is an issue I take very seriously, which is why my first event will be a community discussion on what we can do to address this crisis. Whether you or someone you love is struggling to afford their medication, I hope you can join us to have your story heard. You can read more about our continuing efforts on insulin in my previous legislative update.
- When: Thursday, Sept. 19, 10am-noon
- Where: Array Community Room, Great River Library, 1300 W St Germain St, St Cloud, MN 56301
- Elder Care/Senior Issues Forum: I’m proud to have supported the new elder care laws that passed this legislative session, but more remains to be done to better the lives of Minnesota’s seniors, regardless of where they live. For this event, we’ll be joined by Rep. Jennifer Schultz, the chair of the Long-Term Care Division. You and your loved ones are invited to join us as we discuss these issues facing Minnesotans.
- When: Sunday, September 29, 12:30-1:30pm
- Where: Carefree Living Center, 1225 Division St E, St. Cloud, MN 56304
- Cannabis Town Hall: I’ve heard from many constituents on the desire to have an open and honest conversation about the potential legalization of recreational cannabis. I’ll be joined by Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, and I hope to see you there to discuss how this could be done in a safe and responsible manner.
- When: Saturday, October 12, 1:30-3pm
- Where: Mississippi Room - Great River Library, 1300 W St Germain St, St Cloud, MN 56301
More Town Halls are planned for October and November, and I’ll be sure to update you once we have specifics. If you’re unable to make these dates, but have questions or comments on these issues, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can reach me at (651) 296-6612, or rep.dan.wolgamott@house.mn if you have any questions, comments, or solutions to improve Minnesota together.
Skol Vikings!
Rep. Dan Wolgamott |