Dear Neighbors,
I hope you were able to ride out the snow storm somewhere nice and warm! While we didn’t reach the peak of some forecasts, MSP airport did record over 13 inches which isn’t too shabby. The legislature canceled committee business Wednesday-Friday so rural legislators could get home safely. Even so, we still accomplished a lot. Here is some of what we passed recently.
1. Transportation Town Hall - See you There!
- On Saturday, March 4 from 10 – 11:30 am I will host a Transportation Town Hall with House Transportation Chair Frank Hornstein at the Mary Ann Young Center in Blaine
- As we approach the midpoint of session and start to solidify budgets, I’d like to meet with the community to discuss some of the major developments of session, and transportation/Highway 65 in particular.
- If you would like to participate and submit a question, please RSVP here. I look forward to seeing you there!
2. Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention - Taking Action to Stop Theft
- On Monday we passed a bill to prevent the theft and sale of stolen catalytic converters
- Too many in our community have been impacted by the spike in catalytic converter theft. I’ve heard loud and clear from you that this bill and prevention efforts were a top priority. I am proud that I was able to vote ‘yes’ to finally get this important bill done.
- The bill prohibits anyone from possessing a used, unattached catalytic converter unless the owner has the vehicle identification number (VIN) for the vehicle, and the date the converter was removed from the vehicle. It also prohibits the sale and purchase of catalytic converters by anyone other than registered scrap metal dealers, and would impose a fine of up to $10,000 for unlawful possession and sale.
3. Housing Affordability - Helping Minnesotans Stay in Their Homes
- Before the weather hit I had two important bills heard in the Housing Committee.
- The first would direct an additional $15 million per year toward building workforce housing. This will help increase the number of entry level affordable homes across the state. Watch my presentation on the bill here.
- The second bill is for a program that helps provide housing for those struggling with mental illness. This is a critical safety net to help prevent vulnerable Minnesotans from losing housing, and to help folks who have been temporarily homeless get back on their feet. Watch my presentation of this bill here.
- Two more pieces to our affordable housing puzzle in Minnesota!
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.matt.norris@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-2907. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here, and follow my Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch!
Sincerely,
Matt Norris, District 32B
507 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155