Friends and neighbors,

It has been one year since Governor Walz declared a Peacetime Emergency in Minnesota and has used this position to do what he thinks our state needs. He has loosened restrictions once again which will impact restaurants, events, weddings, and many businesses in general. After a year, I believe this is the right move for our state and I’m hopeful you’ll all recover from this year of hardship. 

On Monday, the Senate passed funding for a Law Enforcement Operations Account (LEO), which secures resources for emergency law enforcement operations tied to extraordinary and unplanned emergency events. The resources can be accessed by state and local law enforcement following an emergency declaration or when the Minnesota State Patrol requests assistance for state properties, particularly the Minnesota Capitol.

In this bill, the Senate also ensured that man-made events, such as rioting, are not included in the Disaster Assistance Contingency Account. This account has always been available for natural disasters such as tornadoes or flooding, and it should remain as such moving forward.

Serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee, we hear legislative proposals about important topics pertaining to drugs and how we as the legislature can work together to prevent harmful drug-related crime and injuries in our communities. Substances like heroin and fentanyl have increasingly impacted Minnnesotans in dangerous ways unlike any other. We heard Senator Rosen’s bill this week which assigns the same weight and penalty thresholds for fentanyl and heroin. It is imperative we take these crimes seriously to offer help and prevent the spread of addiction to such destructive substances. If you or someone you know is suffering from addiction, please know there are resources available. The phone number for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration hotline is 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

It is Daylight Savings Time this weekend, so don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead! This time can be difficult for individuals with health issues and historically, we even see a rise in car accidents. Stay safe and if there is anything you need from a legislative standpoint, please send an email to Sen.Bruce.Anderson@Senate.MN or call 651-296-5981.

Sincerely,

Bruce

Keep in Touch 

Senator Bruce Anderson 

3209 Minnesota Senate Building

95 University Avenue West

St. Paul, MN 55155