 Dear Neighbors, Happy National Agriculture Week! Farming and the agricultural industry are huge parts of our local economy and way of life. If you see a farmer this week, thank them for their work and contribution to our state, country, and world. Avian InfluenzaCases of highly pathogenetic avian flu have come to the upper Midwest as farmers are concerned that another avian flu outbreak could be heading to Minnesota, similar to the 2015 outbreak. Back in 2015, 9 million birds in Minnesota were killed by the virus or euthanized to slow its spread. A reminder, avian influenza does not pose a food safety risk and poultry products remain safe and nutritious. The 2015 outbreak was devastating to the agricultural community. In response, the legislature provided significant funds to help deal with the emergency and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) instituted numerous biosecurity measures meant to slow the spread of avian flu if another outbreak came to Minnesota. It unfortunately looks like such an outbreak may be on the way. Here in St. Paul, our leads on this issue have been holding weekly calls with MDA and are working proactively with stakeholders to make sure we minimize the impacts of this outbreak. The Board of Animal Health has set up a website with resources on this matter and I encourage you to visit it to learn more about ways to prevent outbreaks: https://www.bah.state.mn.us/hpai/ Fighting for Energy IndependenceThis week, I joined a group of Republicans in introducing a resolution to encourage President Biden to take steps to make the United States energy independent. With the terrible war happening in Ukraine, and the price spikes we’re seeing at the gas pump across the state, it’s never been clearer that we need to pursue a national policy of energy independence. With energy independence, we can make sure that our dollars aren’t funding the Russian war machine, and at the same time make sure that our energy prices aren’t dependent on foreign wars. Let’s get this done for America! Staying in TouchI encourage you to reach out to me to share your priorities, thoughts, questions, and concerns. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4293 or via email at rep.john.poston@house.mn. Have a great weekend, John |