Dear neighbors, I hope you and your loved ones are doing well and are ready to head into the winter months. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been busy connecting with people in our community and throughout Minnesota. Here’s the latest news: COVID-19 Vaccines Available for 5- to 11-Year-Olds Five- to 11-year-old children are now eligible to get vaccinated for COVID-19. After extensive clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for use in children this week. Minnesotans who’d like to vaccinate their child can visit mn.gov/vaxforkids to view a list of local providers or contact their pediatrician, family medicine clinic, or pharmacy. Vaccines will also be available at school- and community-based sites across the state. Before you go, make sure the provider offers the pediatric version of the Pfizer vaccine.  Visiting Communities Across Minnesota October and November have been full of travel for me and other members of the House Capital Investment Committee. Nothing brings the needs of our communities to life like seeing them firsthand and speaking with people living and working in the area, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. So far, we've been to Northwest, Northeast, and Southwest Minnesota. We’ve seen a diverse range of local projects, from the Pelican Rapids community pool, to an anaerobic waste disposal program, to a habitat conservation initiative in Renville County. We’ve toured many higher education facilities and heard about the need to invest in water treatment and road repairs and improvements.    Tours in Southeast Minnesota and the metropolitan area are yet to come. I’m excited to share that a great project in Eagan will be included in our metro tour this month. This initiative would extend the Minnesota River Greenway from trailheads at Highway 77/Cedar Avenue and Lone Oak Road, which means no more biking on Highway 13! I’m looking forward to welcoming my colleagues to our community and advocating for this project. Attending Tribal-State Relations Training I recently traveled to Tower, Minnesota for Tribal-State Relations Training, which was hosted by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. My colleagues and I attended historical overviews, panels on language revitalization and culture, and a guided tour of the Bois Forte Heritage Center and Museum. In my opinion, the most powerful experience was the panels with Dakota and Ojibwe tribal leaders, where we discussed the effects of the past and where we need to go in the future. For me, this event is summed up by one of the first sentences one of the Bois Forte leaders said, encouraging us to “Go forward in a good way, and do the best we can.”  Connecting with Minnesotans I visited Ely, Minnesota recently to view the region that would be affected by the Twin Metals mine. It is a beautiful, pristine spot just a short canoe trip away from the Boundary Waters. And water would flow past the mine back into the Boundary Waters and through the watershed.  I’ve also met with Minnesotans who are advocating to improve our health care system, including access to dental care and physical therapy, and to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities.   If you have questions about my work or the resources available in our community, please feel free to reach out. You can email me at rep.liz.reyer@house.mn or call (651) 296-4128. And please, stay safe! Join me in getting your booster (or your first round if you’ve been holding off). COVID-19 is serious business, and research is showing more and more how long-lasting the effects can be. Sincerely, Liz Reyer
State Representative |