If you would like to contact Rep. Warwas, DO NOT reply to this email. Please reach out directly to rep.cal.warwas@house.mn.gov. Legislative UpdateDear constituents and friends of the Iron Range, It has been an exciting second week at the Capitol. I am pleased to share with you what I have been working on, here in St. Paul. House Priorities and HF8This week, the Republican House caucus started introducing the first 10 bills of the session. Our first 10 bills outline the highest priorities of the session and how we will accomplish our goals. Major goals from these bills include: stopping fraud, making Minnesota affordable, keeping Minnesota safe, and reducing mandates. HF8 is an important one to the Iron Range as it improves efficiency of the permitting process, without weakening our important environmental standards. Timelines on permitting need to be predictable to build certainty into new projects that we need to build the future, especially that of the Iron Range. As a member of the Environment & Natural Resources Committee, I am proud to be a supporter of this bill. March for Life On the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling that legalized abortion, the MCCL's March for Life rally took place on the Capitol grounds. I was so grateful to have a moment between meetings to spend with my wife and kids at the rally, as they took time out of their week to travel and participate.  If you have never been to this event, consider saving the date of January 22nd to your plans, as it is a powerful opportunity to show Minnesota that we care about human life at all stages.   Guardian ad LitemI briefly joined the Guardian ad Litem group that met in the Capitol Vault on Wednesday. I had the opportunity to see my young friend, Carter Logan (a Virginia native!) and also met Sara Henkel and Amanda Mitchell. Sara and Amanda work for the 6th Judicial District Court, which encompasses all of St. Louis County and spills out into other rural counties as well. Thank you to all that made the journey to meet with us!   Half of the House is Still MissingAs the weeks go on, our Democrat colleagues have yet to show up for session. It's disappointing to be actively working on legislation and trying to make positive changes for Minnesotans when DFL members won't collaborate with us. Sadly, Governor Walz has instructed employees of state government departments (Dept. of Ed, DNR, etc.) not to participate in our committees. These valuable employees provide specific insights that help us to make the informed decisions on new legislation, so I hope the Governor will change his mind on the issue. Republicans are showing up for work at the Capitol, Monday through Thursday, to review legislation, hold Session and caucus meetings, and meet constituent groups and concerned citizens whenever possible. As always, if you are in the Metro area and would like to meet with me, please reach out and I’ll do my best to get together with you! Please Contact MePlease continue to reach out if I can be of any assistance to you. The best method is to use my email, rep.cal.warwas@house.mn.gov – I am rarely near the office phone, but that number is 651.296.0170 and you can try me there too. Have a great weekend! - Cal |