Friends,
I have had a great time traveling around our community meeting with community leaders, small business owners, and people that make our district a special place to live. This will be the last update I can send out for a while, more on that below, but know you can always contact me for anything you may need or any questions you may have.
Rep Grossell at the Headwaters Day Center ribbon cutting (PHOTO CREDIT: Park Rapids Enterprise)
New Driver License Design
This past week, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety released a new look and features for Minnesota Driver's Licenses. These will be the new designs for orders processed after August 6th. Included is a new vertical orientation for those under 21 and a preview of the REAL ID-compliant license option available beginning this October. Full details are available here.
The standard Minnesota Drivers Licenses available beginning August 6th.
Recovering from Recent Storms
A disaster declaration has been issued for 36 counties in Minnesota, including Beltrami and Clearwater.
Cleaning up after these storms will be a long process. Hiring trusted local businesses from our communities is the best way to protect yourself from falling victim to scammers who may try to prey on the situation. If at all possible, I encourage people to rely on reputable, local services during restoration projects.
Residents in the counties subject to the disaster declaration also may be eligible for low- or no-interest loans to help with recovery efforts. Farmers can apply for the zero-percent Disaster Loan Program offered by the Minnesota Rural Finance Authority. The program is designed to help cover clean-up cost, repair and replacement costs not covered by insurance.
Call the RFA at (651) 201-6004 or visit www.mda.state.mn.us/agfinance for more information.
The counties receiving the disaster declaration include Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Blue Earth, Brown, Cass, Carlton, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Jackson, Kittson, Lake, Lyon, Mahnomen, Martin, Mille Lacs, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Sibley, Stearns, Stevens, St. Louis, Waseca and Watonwan.
Please Contact Me
Because of a 60-day, post-session rule, I’ll be unable to send email updates after today due to this being an election year. Thank you for the honor and privilege you have granted me to serve you and your families in the Minnesota House of Representatives. If you would like to get in touch with me during the interim, please email me at rep.matt.grossell@house.mn or call my office 651-296-4265. I welcome and appreciate hearing from you and look forward to assisting you in any way I am able.
Have a great summer and fall!
Matt