Dear Neighbors,
Before I get into my work for the week, I’d like to take a moment to address some of the week’s news and how many of you may be feeling. In the ongoing House dispute, the Minnesota Supreme Court recently ruled that Republicans don’t have a quorum, so their actions over the past two weeks were unconstitutional. My hope was that this would be an opportunity for a session reset that leads to progress in negotiating a fair power-sharing agreement that would protect the will of the voters by seating Rep. Tabke and allow us to govern together if the House returns to a tie like many expect. Unfortunately, negotiations have stalled because Republican leadership isn’t willing to meet.
Then, at the federal level, President Trump’s executive order proposing a freeze of many government funding streams caused a lot of alarm here in my community and across the state. For instance, I talked to a domestic violence shelter in my district that stands to lose 27% of their budget if the order, which is currently on hold by a court, goes through. In addition to the harm to individuals in our community, this proposal threatens to blow an unrepairable hole in the state’s budget.
All of this has led to a sense of chaos and frustration. I share it too. But the way to make it through these moments is to stick to our values and our duty to protect certain universal principles. We can’t lose sight of our obligation to support the most vulnerable in our community and key institutions like our schools, community organizations, public health services, and law enforcement. We also must double down on our commitment to honor and protect the democratic election process. I’m ready and eager to get to work for our community at any moment. But I am also unwilling to abandon those universal principles and our collective democratic values in the face of attacks on them.
In times like these, it’s helpful to remember a quote from RFK, Sr. (an important distinction these days!): “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”
Capital Investment Committee - Growing Blaine’s Economy
- MN House Capital Investment Committee Co-Chair Fue Lee came to Blaine to tour the Super Rink at the National Sports Center.
- We talked about the $90 million per year in economic benefit the National Sports Center generates for Minnesota and the importance of the state maintaining critical assets like this facility. The NSC currently has about $80 million in deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed.
- I’ve advocated tirelessly for investment in our local projects and I will continue to do so throughout this session!
Homeless Shelter Visit - Finding Housing Solutions
- As a member of the Housing Committee and Human Services Committee, addressing homelessness is a focus for me.
- So I spent part of the week with some of my colleagues touring two innovative shelter models: Avivo Village (seen below) and Homeward Bound.
- Both provided us with key lessons for addressing homelessness throughout the state. Our housing crisis will likely get worse before it gets better, but if we are diligent in supporting the most effective strategies, we can help a lot of people and do so within our state budget constraints.
Johnsville Elementary School - Supporting Educators and Students
- I had a chance to visit with educators at Johnsville Elementary School in Blaine!
- We discussed teacher pensions, class sizes, student behavior, and more. Later in the week, I also met with Anoka-Hennepin School District Superintendent Cory McIntyre where we had a chance to discuss some of the feedback I received and how the state and school district can collaborate..
- Public education forms the bedrock of a thriving community and I will do all I can to support our schools!
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
5th Floor Centennial Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155