Legislative Update – November 15, 2023
Dear Neighbors,
It has been a busy start of fall as I have been visiting with constituents, advocates, policymakers, and more! I was glad to speak at the Women in Energy Empowerment and the Gateway to Solar conferences. I attended events with Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the HOPE network. I was especially delighted to meet with students from the Minnetonka High Political Advocacy Club last month!
Local Projects for our District
This week I was proud to have the House Capital Investment Committee come to the west Metro and hear proposals for projects in our district. The City of Wayzata presented a proposal for the Lakefront Park on Wayzata Bay and the City of Minnetonka presented proposals for The Marsh wellness and fitness center and the Opus Public Space.
Improving public facilities like The Marsh, the Wayzata Lakefront Park, and the Minnetonka Opus Public Space will help our district and region continue to be a great place for people to work, visit, and raise a family.
2023 Minnesota Values Project Survey
As we prepare for the upcoming 2024 legislative session, House DFLers want to hear about the issues that are most important to you! From education, to health care, to the environment and more we accomplished so much last session–but we know there is still work to be done.
That’s why I wanted to share with you our Minnesota Values Project Survey, an easy way to share your values, hopes, challenges, and ideas on solutions with us at the legislature. It only takes a few minutes to fill out, and can be found here or using the QR code below. Thank you!
Site Visits with Climate and Energy Committee
On November 1st, the House Climate and Energy Committee did a series of site visits looking at some important areas of opportunity for Minnesota’s clean energy economy.
We saw cutting-edge electrolyzers at Cummins, the site for the largest solar array at Xcel’s Sherco Plant, electric buses at New Flyer and innovative energy projects at St Cloud Wastewater Treatment Plant. Thank you to all of our hosts, As the Climate and Energy Chair next session, I am thrilled to continue working towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for Minnesota.
I also wanted to share some energy-related resources from the MN Department of Commerce, including the department’s steps to save money, save energy, and stay warm, a guide for best practices for community solar, and college scholarship opportunities with the Renewable Energy Scholarship Foundation and the Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program.
Eliminating Co-Pays for Breast Cancer Screenings
October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I was glad to talk to WCCO about my recently passed law eliminating copays for diagnostic breast cancer screenings.
The bill passed as a part of our larger 2023 Health Budget and goes into effect on January 1st of next year. By removing barriers to health care we can ensure more positive outcomes. You can read more here.
Staying in touch
Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share. You can contact me by email at rep.patty.acomb@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative