Dear Neighbors,
On Wednesday I had the opportunity to join OutFront Minnesota’s annual LGBTQ+ Lobby Day on the State Capitol steps. It was good to once again gather in person to support key initiatives like a ban on harmful conversion “therapy” and oppose bills to roll back rights for LGBTQ+ Minnesotans. I also spoke about my bill to remove the crimes of adultery, fornication, and sodomy from our books. These statutes are outdated and discriminatory. Here I am with my colleague, Rep. Liz Reyer of Eagan.
Student Mental Health
This week, House DFLers put forth a robust plan to provide new funding to support students, families, public schools, and school staff. One of the most significant parts of our E-12 Education package is a historic $475 million investment to support student mental health, addressing shortages of school support personnel critical to students’ social, emotional, and physical health. The funding will allow schools to hire more than 1,000 additional counselors, social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, and chemical dependency specialists.
I’m particularly proud the package includes legislation I authored to fund two mental health leads at the Department of Education to support students and staff in schools across the state. The two leads would be charged with helping schools assess their comprehensive mental health plans and implement evidence-based mental health practices. They’d also be responsible for establishing a clearinghouse with information and resources for schools, teachers and families. I began working on this initiative several years ago with former Mounds View School Board Chair Amy Jones as a result of the mental health needs of students in our district.
I’m very proud that students in our district are also raising awareness about mental health. Mounds View High School students are sponsoring an Out of the Darkness walk on May 1st. I plan to join them, and I hope you will as well. Details can be found here.
Avian Influenza
First detected in Minnesota on March 25, H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has now been found in turkey flocks in 12 different counties impacting over 1 million birds. Yesterday, the Minnesota House voted to invest $1 million in the state’s response to HPAI for testing supplies and disease surveillance.
Our state’s poultry industry is a major economic driver for the state, and in fact, Minnesota is the top turkey producer in the country, with 660 turkey farms that raise about 40 million birds annually. It’s important to note that HPAI poses little or no risk to humans, and the turkey available at the store is safe to eat.
Beyond commercial poultry operations, many communities, including some of the cities in our district, allow residents to have backyard chickens. To prevent the spread of HPAI, the University of Minnesota Extension encourages bird owners to separate their flocks from disease sources, separate new or returning birds from existing flocks for 30 days, clean poultry areas and equipment, and avoid sharing equipment among neighbors. More information is available here from the U of M Extension.
Gun Violence Prevention Update
Here’s a reminder about the Gun Violence Prevention Update I’m hosting with Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn on Monday, April 18 at 7pm on Zoom. We will discuss solutions including expanded background checks, extreme risk protection orders, a requirement to report stolen firearms to law enforcement, safe storage requirements, and community violence prevention grants. Experts and survivor advocates on the issue will also share updates.
The event is open to anyone living in Senate District 42. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP here and you will receive a link to participate closer to the event date.
Drug Take-Back Day
Saturday, April 30 is Drug Take Back Day. The Ramsey County OPUS Coalition is hosting the event with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and Saint Paul Police Department at the Cub Foods Midway location in Saint Paul. The event will be a drive-through drop-off for safe, and easy disposal of unused and unwanted prescription medications and needles. The Steve Rummler HOPE Network and Know The Truth will be available with informative resources about addiction and substance abuse.
More information about Drug Take Back Day, as well as year-round collection locations, is available from the federal DEA.
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to contact me directly with your viewpoints or if I can be of assistance. My email is rep.kelly.moller@house.mn and my phone number is 651-296-0141. You can learn about bills that have been introduced here and keep track of the bills I’ve authored here.
If you have neighbors, friends, or family who you think would find these updates valuable, please share this with them; they can subscribe here. I also encourage you to “like” or “follow” me on Facebook.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Sincerely,
Kelly Moller
State Representative