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Dear Granite City Neighbors,
The July Special Session began this week, and I’m here in St. Paul, continuing to work across the aisle to pass meaningful legislation to help our community and state during these unprecedented times. The ongoing pandemic requires legislative solutions, especially when it comes to ensuring Minnesota can remain responsive and strong during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now is the time to pass a robust jobs and local projects bill to not only create jobs in St. Cloud, but to also update facilities and resources that are a boon for the entire region. In our current House proposal, I fought for the inclusion of local projects like the Municipal Athletic Complex, the Northstar extension to St. Cloud, the St. Cloud Correctional Facility, the Becker Business District, Foley Wastewater Treatment Facility, and Asset Preservation at St. Cloud State University and St. Cloud Technical Community College. Investments in local resources like these are exactly the type of action needed to help revitalize our economy. When we return to the State Capitol for special sessions, Minnesotans expect us to get the work done, and that’s what I’m committed to doing.
As I continue to work on the issues important to our community, this week marks the last time I’ll be able to send these legislative updates, as incumbent legislators cannot use state resources for unsolicited communications 60 days after the legislature adjourns sine die. You can still follow me on my legislative Facebook page.
Vote By Mail
Minnesotans regularly lead the nation in voter turnout, and we want to continue that trend by protecting the integrity and safety of our elections. This year, we passed legislation investing in improving accessibility and modernizing election security to prevent interference, and with the uncertain future of COVID-19, we also passed measures to ensure the health and safety of election officials and in-person voters.You can register to vote early by mail here.
Federal Resources during COVID-19
Several new resources are now available thanks to Governor Walz utilizing federal dollars from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was passed earlier this year - the latest being the $100 million in housing assistance. With previously allocated dollars drying up, Minnesotans can begin applying for assistance with local grant administrators in the first part of August. More information about grants can be found on the Minnesota Housing website at www.mnhousing.gov.
Additional funds were also utilized to provide support in food security and child care. $12 million has been dedicated to approximately 300 food shelves across the state, and information about food assistance resources is available on the state’s food emergency webpage. For child care, $56.6 million has gone to support providers who are facing enormous challenges during the pandemic. Families seeking care can call the Child Care Aware parent line at 1-888-291-9811 or visit mn.gov/childcare for a map of open providers.
Stay Connected
Although we are required to pause these email updates, always feel free to reach out to my office with any questions or comments you may have. You can reach me at (651) 296-6612, or email me at rep.dan.wolgamott@house.mn, and I always appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Rep. Dan Wolgamott
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