March 26, 2021
Vaccine Availability
Governor Walz announced today that all Minnesotans age 16 and older will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination beginning Tuesday, March 30. This is great news, as this comes over one month ahead of schedule.
If you have not already, please sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to get updates on vaccine opportunities near you. You can also contact your healthcare provider, local pharmacy, or use the Vaccine Locator Map to search for vaccine providers in your area.
Bill Hearings in Legacy Committee
This week the Senate Legacy Committee heard proposals on how we can support our state’s water, land, arts, and cultural heritage. I got the opportunity to present two bills on Wednesday to fund programs at the Minnesota Humanities Center and Ka Joog, a Somali American youth organization. You can watch my bill presentations by clicking HERE.
Standing Up for Full Representation
Having a free and fair democracy has been on my mind a lot this week, as has the missing 51st star on our national flag. I cannot imagine living in Minnesota and not having 2 US Senators representing me in congress. That is what residents of Washington DC wake up to every day. Those of us who have representation need to stand in solidarity with those who don’t. It is time to make DC the 51st US state. You can watch my weekly video on this subject by clicking HERE.
Support Builds for Hometown Heroes Assistance Program
If you have not already seen it, a great op-ed was written in MinnPost recently about the need for us to give firefighters the life-saving support they need. The subject of this article was the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, a bipartisan effort to fund supports for firefighters experiencing mental and physical trauma.
I am hopeful that this is the year we get this done. The photo above is from when we first brought this bill forward two years ago. On the right is former Eden Prairie Fire Chief George Esbensen, who now runs the Minnesota Fire Initiative.
Updating State Education Standards
We heard a few education bills on the Senate floor on Monday. One of them would delay work on updating all of our standards for the next two years. This comes as disinformation is spreading regarding the review and revision of our social studies standards, which you can find info on by clicking HERE.
When I as a teacher, updating our social studies curriculum was like having all of the holidays wrapped up into one. Delaying this work on adopting standards will only serve to deflate our social studies teachers and create a backlog of work. You can view both of my floor speeches on this subject by clicking HERE.
Taking Action Against Catalytic Converter Theft
As many of you may be aware, catalytic converter theft is on the rise in Minnesota. Easily accessible to be sawn off of most cars, they are increasingly being sold on the black market. Some elements in them, such as rhodium and palladium, are worth more than gold. The Eden Prairie Local News recently published a survey for you to share your thoughts on this, which you can participate in by clicking HERE.
I am also working on a bill to crack down on black market sales, which you can check out by clicking HERE.
I heard from many of you this week on a wide range of other issues. Some of the big subjects were:
- Creating a fair tax system
- Environmental protection
- Police reform
- Liquor sales
This was also a big week for constituent meetings. Some of the groups I met with were:
- Affordable housing advocates
- Teachers
- Special education advocates
- College students
- Nutritionists
As always, please continue to write in with your questions, comments, and concerns.