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Legislative Update from Rep. Brian Daniels

Friday, April 5, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

It’s been another busy week in St. Paul as omnibus finance bills have started to move through committee as they make their way to the House floor for a vote by the entire body. One such bill that is sure to gain a great deal of attention is the Education omnibus bill. The bill seeks to spend an additional $900 million the next two years and $1.2 billion in 2022-2023. Such a massive increase in spending is simply unsustainable.

I will have more information for you on the various omnibus bills as they come to the floor. In the meantime, here’ a quick rundown on the week that was.

Bills Heard in Committee

A handful of my bills were heard in committee this week.

House File 1791 was heard in the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee. HF 1791 provides funding to enhance services at Ruth’s House, a transitional housing program in Rice County.

Ruth’s House is a non-profit in Faribault, MN which provides help to women and children in crisis. Their clients face homelessness due to domestic violence, poverty, addiction, health challenges or other issues. Ruth’s House offers an emergency/transitional shelter and permanent supportive housing through a grant from Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Residents at Ruth’s House also receive food and other basic supplies, have access to 24-hour support staff, and meet weekly with a case manager. The goal of Ruth’s house is to help residents achieve economic self-sufficiency through learning and skill development.

The funding can be used to enhance existing services, support the program, or to determine if the model could be expanded statewide.

House File 1412 received a hearing this week. This legislation requires school districts to screen for dyslexia all students between the beginning of kindergarten and the beginning of second grade, and any student who is not reading at grade level in grades two or higher.

Dyslexia is a serious, but treatable learning disorder. Properly identifying and intervening with students with dyslexia can help remediate other costs, including costs for special education, and set students on a path to educational success.

Staying in Touch

That’s all for this week’s update. Please be sure to contact me to share any questions or concerns you may have about anything related to state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-8237 or via email at rep.brian.daniels@house.mn. It would be great to speak with you!

Have a great weekend,

Brian