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Dear Neighbors,
It’s been a busy week in the Minnesota House, with debates on the House Floor going late into the evening every night this week. The long hours are pretty normal for this time of year as we enter the final weeks of the legislative session.
In addition to our work on the floor, we also rolled out our 2024 Capital Investment Legislation in committee on Monday, and spent the week going through, amending, and moving the bill through the committee process.
It’s a great bill, and I sat down with Brian Bakst at MPR for "Politics Friday” this afternoon to go over the legislation, how it can help build a better Minnesota, and the road ahead for getting it passed into law.
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If you didn’t catch us live, you can listen to that conversation here.
As it currently stands, the bill invests in state agency projects throughout the state, taking care of infrastructure on college campuses, water treatment plants, and other government resources - this is just part of our bill.
We’re currently in negotiations with all the other caucuses (House Republicans, Senate Democrats, and Senate Republicans) to finalize what’ll be the final version of this bill, with investments in local projects championed by legislators added in. We’ve only got a few weeks left to wrap it up, but that’s pretty normal for a Capital Investment bill.
You can read more about our proposal here.
Our Environment & Legacy Supplemental Budget Bills
Two of the committees I serve on, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the Legacy Committee, both had supplemental budgets pass off the House Floor this week, and both bills do a fantastic job of building off our work from last year and investing in a cleaner, greener Minnesota.
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These bills are just the latest in our efforts to improve Minnesota’s water, air, and great outdoors. In our Environment and Natural Resources bill, we’ve invested over $46 million in protecting Minnesota’s water, air, soil, and wildlife. The bill includes over $19 million in trees and tree planting grants throughout Minnesota, with a focus on environmental justice areas.
In Legacy, we’re investing nearly $193 million in the Outdoor Heritage Fund, over $25 million in the Clean Water Fund, and $9 million to improve parks and trails as well as funding for reduced-cost sporting equipment and fees for youth and low-income users.
We’re also delivering over $12 million in arts, arts education, and arts access to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage, including a grant program to celebrate the cultural heritage of Minnesotans. The bill funds multiple projects and programs serving BIPOC communities, as well as funding historical preservation efforts like the Justus Ramsey House and several Veterans memorials and commemorations.
Gun Violence Prevention
Over the week, we also passed a slate of bills that will reduce gun violence in Minnesota and save lives. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the United States and it's time that we take action to make Minnesota a safer place to live.
Our bills require the safe storage of firearms, require the report of missing firearms, crack down on straw purchasing, and ban binary triggers. I’m proud to have voted for each one of these critical bills that will save lives.
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Stay Connected
This is just a snapshot of some of our work this week, where we’ve passed supplemental budget bills on K-12 Education, Children & Families, and Transportation, Labor, and Housing - with more to come!
The legislature is required to adjourn by May 20, and as we move towards that date, please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments you have on our work. You can reach me at rep.fue.lee@house.mn.gov or 651-296-4262. I always look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Fue Lee
State Representative
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