Dear Neighbors,
The summer is flying by — it’s hard to believe it’s nearly August!
National Night Out and Night to Unite events are just around the corner, happening on Tuesday, August 6th. These events are designed to help you get to know your neighbors, strengthen police and community partnerships, and have fun!
You can learn more about participating or hosting a block party in your neighborhood by visiting the Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids websites.
Meeting Liberia’s Speaker of the House
This week, I had the opportunity to meet the Honorable Dr. Bhofal Chambers, Speaker of the House for the House of Representatives in Liberia. It was nice to meet him, show him around the House chamber, and discuss a variety of issues, including Liberia’s economy and security.
Speaker Chambers lived in Minnesota as a refugee from 1992-2000 — living in Brooklyn Park for some of that time — before returning to Liberia. When talking about his time here, he told me “Minnesota has a heart.” While he is visiting Minnesota, he will participate in some events with the Organization of Liberians in Minnesota (OLM). Minnesota has one of the largest Liberian communities in the country.
New Laws as of August 1st, 2019
A number of new laws go into effect on August 1st. Here are some of the highlights:
Reducing distracted driving
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, distracted or inattentive driving was a contributing factor in one in five crashes from 2013-2017, resulting in an average of 53 deaths and 216 serious injuries each year. Minnesotans deserve to be safe on our roadways. Effective August 1st, a new law requires Minnesotans to use their phones in a hands-free mode while they are behind the wheel, with exceptions for emergencies and one-touch activation features.
You can learn more from the Department of Public Safety here.
Slow vehicles stay right
This year we passed a law to modernize and clarify requirements for drivers to keep slower vehicles to the right side of the road — making clear that slower vehicles should move out of the left-most lane to allow others to pass.
If the roadway has more than one lane in each direction, a person must move out of the left-most lane to allow another vehicle to pass, when practicable. Drivers are not required to stay on the right side of the road when they are overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway, preparing to exit a controlled-access highway on the left side of the road, the lane is designated and posted for a specific type of traffic, or the vehicle is an authorized emergency vehicle.
The Department of Public Safety has more information here.
Denouncing racial covenants
Homeowners who find that their property titles contain racial covenants will have an opportunity to reject them. Although it has been illegal to include such covenants since the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act in 1968, language restricting homeowners from selling their property to individuals based on their religion, national origin, race or color remains attached to many property titles.
Nursing home retaliation
This year we enacted sweeping legislation to protect elderly and vulnerable adults in assisted living facilities. While much of the new law does not go into effect until August 1st, 2021, one portion of the new law goes into effect this year. The portion going into effect this August 1st prohibits nursing homes or assisted living facilities from retaliating against a resident, employee, or person acting on a resident’s behalf who files a complaint.
Illegal retaliation could include any form of discrimination, restriction or prohibition of visitors, withholding of food or care, discharge or transfer, or unauthorized removal, tampering with or deprivation of technology, communication or electronic monitoring devices.
The full list of new laws can be found here.
Open House events on changes to Highway 252 and I-94
Hennepin County, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the cities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and Minneapolis are developing proposals to address the future of Hwy 252 and I-94. An environmental review is underway to develop solutions to reduce congestion, improve safety and address reliability on the two highways. To allow opportunities for comment and to update residents, workers, and business owners in the area, and commuters who use the highways, MnDOT and the project partners will be hosting three open houses in August:
- August 5th, 2019 – 4:30pm-7:30pm Brooklyn Center – Evergreen Community School (7020 Dupont Ave. N., Brooklyn Center)
- August 14th, 2019 – 4:30pm-7:30pm Brooklyn Park – Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center (5600 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park)
- August 15th, 2019 – 4:30pm-7:30pm Minneapolis – Folwell Recreation Center (1615 N. Dowling Ave., Minneapolis)
You can learn more about the project here.
As always, please contact me anytime with your input. I appreciate hearing from you! You can reach me at 651-296-4280 or rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn. You can also keep up with what’s happening at the Capitol by liking my legislative Facebook page. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Melissa Hortman
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