Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Over the last week, the DNR held three public meetings seeking input from Minnesotans to help shape the new Lake Mille Lacs fisheries management plan.
I attended the third and final meeting that took place last night at a picnic shelter in St. Paul with about 10 attendees. Other meetings were held in Brainerd and at Kathio State Park where another 20 individuals were in attendance.
If you were unable to attend one of these meetings, you still have time to respond to the DNR’s online survey. You can find a link to the DNR’s survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MilleLacs
If you have additional comments, please provide them because the survey is very general.
Shakeup at DHS
There has been a significant leadership shakeup at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) in recent days.
Last Friday, we learned about the unexpected resignations of Deputy Commissioners and longtime department employees Chuck Johnson and Claire Wilson. On Monday, DHS Commissioner Tony Lourey resigned after roughly six months on the job. After Lourey’s resignation, both Johnson and Wilson rescinded their days' old resignations.
We also recently discovered that an investigation into a complaint against DHS Inspector General Carolyn Ham has not begun, or begun only very recently, even though she has been on investigative leave for four months and has collected about $42,000 of her taxpayer-funded salary.
It is clear that something is very wrong at DHS and Minnesotans deserve answers. The lack of information from the Department and the Walz administration is extremely troubling. If there are disagreements about the direction of the agency or anything else, the public deserves to know.
Staying in Touch
Even though the 2019 legislative session is officially over, my job as your state representative does not end. Please continue to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns related to state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-6746 or via email at rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Sondra