Dear neighbors,
It has been a tough week for many people as we mourn the 19 children and two teachers who were killed during a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. My thoughts are with their families, friends, and classmates.
No parent should have to worry about whether or not their child is safe at school. We must do more to prevent tragedies like this, starting with common sense steps to prevent gun violence.
Addressing 3M’s Hazardous Waste Violations
Today, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced 3M will be required to pay a $2.8 million fine for a series of violations dating back to 1996, most of which occurred at the company’s hazardous waste storage and incineration site in Cottage Grove. 3M was fined for other hazardous waste violations just over a year ago.
25 years of hazardous waste mismanagement is not a mistake, but a standard operating procedure. 3M has failed its neighbors again, and paying a penalty is not a sufficiently effective deterrent. White collar crimes like this one should result in resignations and restitution.
Bonus Pay for Frontline Workers
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announced this week that applications for frontline worker payments are expected to open on Wednesday, June 8. Eligible Minnesotans – health care workers, first responders, child care providers, food service and retail workers, and others who kept our state running during the darkest days of the pandemic – will have 45 days to apply before applications close on Friday, July 22. If you think you might be eligible for a bonus payment, you can review the criteria and other information at frontlinepay.mn.gov.
Legislative Session Adjourns
I arrived at the Capitol bright and early on the last day of the legislative session.
The Legislature adjourned on Monday, but I’m afraid I don’t have much news to share. While we agreed on a bipartisan framework for the budget and passed several bills, we still have work to do in other areas, including education, public safety, and health and human services. In the conference committee I led, lawmakers worked until the very last minute and found a compromise 30 minutes before we adjourned! Thanks to an extraordinary effort from legislators and nonpartisan staff, our bipartisan Environment and Natural Resources bill is ready to go if a special session is called.
This is one of several finished bills that could pass during a special session, and lawmakers were close to reaching agreements and completing their work on a few others. I hope a special session is called so we can return to the Capitol, finish our work, and pass bills to improve Minnesotans’ lives.
Reforming Minnesota’s Liquor Laws
The legislature passed a few bills before adjourning, including legislation that will modernize Minnesota’s liquor laws. Outdated regulations have hindered the growth of craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries, so we’re updating these laws to encourage competition and make sure small businesses can thrive. We passed bipartisan legislation to:
- Increase the growler cap that prohibits breweries like Castle Danger, Surly, Summit, Schell’s, and Fulton from selling growlers from their tap rooms
- Allow small breweries to sell more products directly to consumers, including six- and four-packs of beer
- Allow micro-distilleries to sell spirits in larger quantities and allow more distilleries to operate cocktail rooms
Governor Walz signed this bill into law on Sunday. You can read more about it here.
Protecting Our Environment and Natural Resources
On Saturday evening, the House passed legislation I authored to protect our environment and natural resources. The bill uses money from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund to support 73 projects that received strong support from members of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. It provides funding to:
- Research and manage aquatic and terrestrial invasive species.
- Establish a center for prion research to help solve chronic wasting disease.
- Provide opportunities for Minnesotans from underserved communities to enjoy the outdoors and pursue careers in conservation.
You can find more information about this bill here.
If you have any questions or feedback you’d like to share, please reach out. You can contact me by email at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn or call (651) 296-6828.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative