How Reaching Out to Your Elected Official Makes a Difference
By Senator Michael Kreun
One of the best things about being a Senator is getting the privilege to help people. In fact, I’d venture a guess that most individuals have no idea how helpful their legislators can be when facing difficulties. I’d like to highlight a few examples that perfectly illustrate how your legislator can be an ally when faced with adversity.
Last year, we passed a bill known as the “Snowbird Bill.” I heard from a constituent who spends time in Arizona, and she reported having a hard time renewing her license. Though she lives in Minnesota for most of the year, she was having a hard time renewing it due to her updated license being sent to her permanent home in Minnesota, when she was physically in Arizona at the time. The solution we proposed was a bill that would allow a second address to be designated as a “secondary mailing address” for license renewals. This constituent reached out to me in February, and by May the bill was passed and signed into law. We were able to identify a clear gap in the law, all because one constituent took the time to email me about her experience.
Another situation came about when a couple in Columbus emailed me regarding their issues with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This couple was having issues with the DNR when trying to sell a portion of their property and use the proceeds for their retirement. The issue they were facing is that the driveway on the parcel they wanted to sell contained rare plants and the DNR was making it financially impossible to sell the parcel due to the Endangered Species Act. The DNR’s original solution would have cost my constituents more money than the entire value of the parcel they wanted to sell. I agreed to meet with DNR officials with my constituents to attempt to address these issues. Through meeting with DNR and several follow-up communications, we were able to find a reasonable solution and pathway forward that allowed my constituents to sell their property at no cost while still preserving the integrity of the Endangered Species Act to DNR’s satisfaction.
The third case I want to highlight involves a mother, her son, and her son’s service dog. This mother reached out to me with concern that the school her son was attending was denying him use of a service dog, which was a critical component of meeting his educational needs. They were facing a life-altering situation, and it was incredibly important that we get the family connected to the right parties so a solution could be found. As a result, I set up a meeting with several school officials from her home school district. Through the mother’s advocacy and my intervention, we were able to successfully advocate for the needs of her son. They were able to transfer to a school better-equipped to help her son thrive, and as a result, his unfettered access to a service dog in school completely changed his life. We were able to take a cooperative approach to addressing the problem and found the best solutions for all parties.
We truly do our best work at the Capitol when we listen, respond, and work alongside our constituents. If anyone ever has a legislative issue or is encountering issues with a state agency or government entity, reach out to your legislators. They can be your greatest ally as you figure out how to best navigate any situation. Even if we can’t help your issue directly, we’re always willing to put constituents in touch with those who can.