Legislative Update from Rep. Nathan Coulter

 Friends and neighbors, 

Happy autumn to all! I hope you were able to enjoy all that the bright beautiful Minnesota fall offers. As we head into another busy holiday season, big things are happening in Minnesota and in our community. 

Honoring our Troops

Recently, I joined the folks at the Bloomington Remembers Veterans for a Veterans Day celebration at the Mall of America. It was a wonderful event celebrating and honoring those who have served and remembering those who did not make it home. It’s also exciting to think that around this time next year, the Bloomington Veterans Memorial will be open to the public! 

To all who have served or are serving in our armed forces, thank you.  

Interim Hearings

Though we are not currently in session, we’ve been hard at work to prepare for next year. This month, the Higher Education Committee heard from the University of Minnesota and our partners at Minnesota State on updates on their budgets and implementation of the North Star Promise program. I’m excited about the future of higher education in Minnesota, and what policymakers and our colleges and universities can do to serve our students better and meet our state’s needs. 

Last week, the Children & Families Committee met to review the work we did on child care and early education this past session, discuss where things stand now, and begin the conversation about what’s ahead of us. 

The blunt fact is that even though we made historic investments in child care last session, the child care system we have is still not working for most Minnesotans. While we made massive strides in the right direction, care is too expensive for families while educators and care staff barely make minimum wage. I’ve heard this in Bloomington, New Ulm, Mountain Iron, and from folks all across our state. 

The bottom line is our families and kiddos need action. We’re working on a proposal to ensure Minnesota families don’t have to pay more than 7% of their income for child care. More to come as we continue preparing for February! 

Capital Investment in Bloomington

Last week, I joined Rep. Steve Elkins as the Capital Investment committee visited Normandale Community College as part of their 2023 bonding tour. The committee is touring facilities seeking investment and stopped here in Bloomington to hear about a proposal to construct bicycle and pedestrian facilities on Normandale Blvd, creating a continuous bike and pedestrian pathway to several amenities in Bloomington. 

Drivers Licenses for All

As of October 1st, all Minnesota residents are eligible to earn a Driver’s License, regardless of immigration or citizenship status. This is a major move towards safer roads, as it will allow us to decrease the number of unlicensed, uninsured drivers on our roads and increase the amount of title and taxpaying Minnesotans driving on our streets and highways. 

Stay Connected

To stay up to date with our important work at the State Capitol, you can see the Minnesota House of Public Information Services’ nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. 

You can also stay up-to-date with the latest by following my Facebook page. 

To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.nathan.coulter@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4218, and I will be happy to help. If you were forwarded this email and you’d like to subscribe, click here. If you have a friend or neighbor who would be interested in receiving these, please forward this and encourage them to subscribe. 

Thank you, as always, for the honor of serving you.   

Rep. Nathan Coulter