Dear Neighbors, I hope you and yours are safe and warm as cold weather sets in this winter, even with some unseasonable high temps in the forecast. A quick reminder that Minnesota’s “cold weather rule” is now in effect, which protects residents from having their electric or natural gas service shut off between October 1 and April 30. To ensure your service is safe from disconnection, you must make and keep a payment plan that you and your utility provider agree on. More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s website. The Work on Pensions Continues As Chair of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, this year I authored the bipartisan 2023 Pensions and Retirement Budget Bill - which passed unanimously in the House. It delivered the largest single investment in our statewide pension plans in Minnesota’s history, allocating $496 million to alleviate inflationary pressures on our retirees and active members while increasing overall plan health. But the work doesn’t stop there. Last weekend, I was able to spend time with Education Minnesota, listening to concerns around teacher pension and to share my vision and strategy for 2024. The work of educating our children is not an easy task, and I have an incredible amount of gratitude for the investment these teachers make in our kids. Shout out to them for spending an entire Saturday planning for the upcoming session! |