Dear Friends and Neighbors, I am writing to you after a very busy but productive week here in St. Paul. I had 6 bill hearings this week on everything from bonding bills, to housing policy, to lifting the nuclear energy moratorium. I have provided a little detail to each bill that was heard and either passed or laid over. Working on bills like these is truly an honor and privilege I am thankful for everyday. St. Patrick’s Day is coming up on Monday, so having fun celebrating if you are this weekend! Capital Investments Bill HearingsI have been super busy with meetings, committees, and introducing bills. I’d like to share with you a few of the bills that I had heard in committee. The following three bills were presented to the Capital Investments Committee, and may be considered for inclusion in a bonding bill this year. HF240 – This bill provides funding for public infrastructure in Keewatin. HF241 – This bill provides funding for water and sewer infrastructure in Floodwood. HF295 – This bill provides drinking water infrastructure in Hibbing. When there is movement on these bills, I will let you know. These are critical bills for the maintenance of local infrastructure, and it is a priority of mine to advocate for projects such as these. I introduced HF252 to the Energy Committee this week. This bill provides an exemption, allowing more small towns to create their own municipal natural gas grids without costly Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulatory oversight. Typically, natural gas providers are subject to PUC oversight to ensure fairness, safety, and cost control. By exempting small towns, the bill makes it easier and more affordable for them to develop and manage their own natural gas infrastructure, helping provide service to residents without the additional costs and delays of PUC approval. This will give smaller communities more flexibility to meet their energy needs efficiently. This is a win for smaller communities, allowing them to implement solutions that work best for them and benefit residents. This bill was passed out of the Energy Committee and was sent to the General Register. I will provide an update when this bill is scheduled to be heard on the floor.  I also introduced HF2002 to the Energy Committee, a bill that aims to lift the nuclear moratorium in Minnesota. This legislation would allow the construction and operation of new nuclear power plants within the state, increasing the diversity of our energy sources. By removing this moratorium, we can ensure that Minnesota has access to a broader range of energy options, helping stabilize our energy supply and reduce costs for consumers. New nuclear plants would add a reliable, low-carbon source of energy to our mix, protecting us from price swings and supply disruptions. Nuclear energy is also key to affordable baseload power without sacrificing reliability, ensuring we meet both energy needs and environmental goals. HF2002 is a practical solution that puts Minnesota on the path toward a more stable, affordable, and environmentally responsible energy future. This bill passed through the Energy Committee and was sent to the General Register. Again, I will provide an update when this bill is expected to be heard on the House floor.  “Yes to Homes” Initiative HF1987 – The Minnesota Starter Homes Act. This bill is a cornerstone of the “Yes to Homes” Initiative and bill package. It allows for the construction of more diverse and affordable homes by changing zoning requirements. This bill was passed out of the Housing Committee and referred to the Elections Finance and Government Committee. See the MN Starter Home Act introduction and closing arguments. Along with my bill, the rest of the bills under the “Yes to Homes” initiative were passed out of the Housing Committee this week with bipartisan support. These bills are focused on attacking our housing crisis head on, and are based around the pillars of diversity, affordability, and stability. The problem is clear: homes are too expensive, scarce, and difficult to finance. Minnesota is short over 100,000 homes across the state. The shortage has contributed to increasing mortgage payments, with the average shooting up from $1,583 in 2021 to $2,525 now. The average interest rate is around 6.3% and the average age of a first-time homebuyer is 38 years old. The solution to this problem is not easy, but it is necessary. We have tried many things here in MN, and we haven’t been able to find a lasting solution yet. In other states such as Texas and Florida, proposals such as these have proven to address similar housing crises. HF2018, authored by Rep. Kozlowski, is also called the Transforming Main Street Act. The purpose of this bill is to revitalize our main streets and build more multi-family housing (condos or apartments) where it makes sense: along commercial corridors. HF2140, authored by Rep. Kraft, is also called the More Homes, Right Places Act. This bill allows and encourages the creation of more homes along corridors of commerce or places within our communities where additional housing makes the most sense. There is a requirement within the bill for necessary infrastructure to be in place before placing additional housing in any given area. These bills have been passed out of the Housing Committee, and I will keep you updated as they move through the legislative process.  Myself and Representative Howard testifying in support of HF1987 and our bill package overall Update: Hibbing-Chisholm Hockey It was great to see the Hibbing-Chisholm Bluejackets compete in the High School Hockey State Tournament last weekend. The boys put up a great fight, although they fell to now state champs East Grand Forks in the Semifinals. The Bluejackets ended up earning fourth place in the tournament, which is no small feat! Congratulations on an impressive season. Congratulations also to Coach Jamnick for being named Class A Coach of the Year following their state tournament appearance. And finally, junior forward Tate Swanson was named to the Class A All-Tournament team. All of these accomplishments top off their best season since 2004 and first state tournament appearance since 2011.  Deer River Basketball Shoutout to the Deer River Boys Basketball team, who played in the 7A semifinals against Mountain Iron-Buhl last night. The Deer River Warriors are 26-2 on the season, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. Their win over Mountain Iron-Buhl means that they are heading to the championship game. Congratulations team! They will face off with reigning state champions, Cherry High School, tomorrow in the 7A section championship game. |