Dear Neighbors,
I hope everyone is having a good week. I spent this week advocating for legislation that would create a safer and more environmentally friendly Minnesota, and I am excited to share these updates (as well as a few others) with you. See below:
Clean Energy
Monday was a big day at the Capitol. I was honored to stand behind Gov. Walz as he announced his plan to get Minnesota to 100% carbon free energy by 2050. One core element to the Governor’s plan is my bill, Clean Energy First (HF1405), which requires that any new power generating facilities built in Minnesota be renewable except under exceptional circumstances.
As I stood with the Governor, I thought about my daughters. I thought about how I want them to be able to enjoy the same Minnesota I know and love. I thought about how I want them to be able to pass that same Minnesota along to their own children. I think about that every day that I’m lucky enough to do this job, and that’s why I’ll keep fighting.
You can read the Star Tribune’s coverage of this proposal here.
Local Projects in Champlin
On Thursday, Champlin Mayor Ryan Karasek joined me at the Capitol as we advocated for a bill to bring $5 million in state bonding investment to Champlin. The money would be used to enhance Mississippi Point Park. This is particularly important as Champlin works to redevelop the river front. When I was speaking with neighbors last fall, many people told me that they’d like to see more restaurants in Champlin. That is not usually something we can do anything about at the Legislature, but getting some bonding money for Mississippi Point Park will make it easier for Champlin to focus on the rest of the redevelopment project, which includes new restaurant options. In addition, Champlin has historically not gotten its fair share of our state’s bonding funds. In fact, the first time Champlin received any bonding money was when my predecessor, Mark Uglem, working together with Sen. John Hoffman, secured funding for the Mill Pond. I’ll work hard to build on the great work that Mark did, and I’m looking forward to enjoying a new restaurant right on the shores of the river (hopefully not too far in the future)!
Capitol Visitors
Thank you to everyone that has visited my office, or reached out to talk about issues important to you. This week, I had the honor of showing a local Girl Scout group around the Capitol, but they especially liked the house floor! Please come visit me anytime. It’d be my pleasure to show you around!
Sincerely,
Zack Stephenson
State Representative