Legislative Update - Have a Happy and Healthy Holidays

Dear Granite City Neighbors, 

Earlier this month, Minnesota Management and Budget released the state’s latest economic forecast, projecting a $7.7 billion positive fund balance. The forecast is very good news for Minnesotans, not just because it shows a strong economy and replenishes the state’s rainy day fund, but because it enables our state to lend a hand to those that have yet to feel the benefits of a recovering Minnesota. Now is the time to invest in working families - the people who made our economy strong in the first place.

We need to provide support and relief to small businesses, we need to lower the cost and increase the accessibility of childcare, and we need to lower the cost of healthcare. That’s what I’ll be fighting for next session to meet this moment and expand economic opportunity for all Minnesotans in a meaningful and lasting way. You can read more about the state’s economic forecast here. 

What do you think we should be prioritizing? 

Bringing the House to St. Cloud

This month, the House DFL Caucus held their annual Legislative Planning Session right here in St. Cloud, where we discussed our priorities and goals ahead of the 2022 Legislative Session. It was an honor to host my colleagues in our city, and I’m proud that our community was at the forefront of legislators’ minds as we set our agenda for 2022. 

Helping my colleagues better understand the legislative goals of St. Cloud and other communities like ours is an important step in ensuring all Minnesotans can succeed, and I’m happy to share that our House DFL team is strong, united, and ready to hit the ground running to deliver for the people we serve.

My colleagues and I highlighted the need to support working families, small businesses, and those still hurting from the ongoing impact of COVID-19, and how we’ll be fighting for resources for frontline workers, paid family and sick leave, and improvements to education and healthcare next session.  

Outside of work, it was great to bring my colleagues to some of downtown St. Cloud’s restaurants and shops, and I want to give them all a big shout out for contributing food shelf donations to support the work being done by Catholic Charities.

Happy and Healthy Holidays

As we all gather in the coming weeks to celebrate the holidays and ring in the new year, I hope you and yours have a happy and healthy time. For many, 2021 has been a struggle, and the continuation and ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic still looms large in our lives. A reminder that vaccines, boosters, and testing are the best tools at our disposal to ensure that we can all start 2022 in a safe and healthy way.

Tragically, our state has reached the grim milestone of over 10,000 COVID-19 deaths, and leaders from Minnesota’s health care systems recently purchased a full-page newspaper ad pleading with Minnesotans to do their part to help end this crisis. Our community has done such an amazing job in meeting this moment and looking out for one another, but now is not the time to let up. 

If you have any questions about the COVID-19 resources available to our community, or on our legislative work ahead of next year’s session, please feel free to reach out to me. You can contact me at rep.dan.wolgamott@house.mn, or give me a call at (651) 296-6612. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Rep. Dan Wolgamott