Friends and neighbors,
If you’re reading this, congratulations: you survived the polar vortex! It was a challenging few days, but Minnesotans are a pretty tough bunch so I’m not surprised we made it through unscathed. We should, however, give special praise to the first responders who continued to keep us safe during the brutal cold, as well as the workers who went door to door doing welfare checks when certain parts of Minnesota lost natural gas service at the worst possible time. Thank you.
Despite losing a day of committee work due to the polar vortex, it was still a pretty busy week in St. Paul. This week, the Transportation Committee heard my bill removing sewage septic tank trucks from local or seasonal load restrictions. Under my bill, violations will not result in criminal penalties but are still subject to a civil penalty for excess weight.
Remember last summer when a 13-year-old Minneapolis boy nearly had his hot dog stand shut down because the health department received a complaint that he was operating without a permit? In that case, the police offered to pay for his permit, but other kids around the country have actually had their stands shut down. I think most of us probably roll our eyes at this sort of government overreach (not to mention, the adults who feel the need to shut down one of the most wholesome activities a child can engage in).
This week we introduced a bill that would put an end to those calls. It’s called the Lemonade Stand bill, and it says that a child under 14 can operate a temporary sales stand provided they meet a few simple requirements, like having the stand on private property, getting permission from the homeowner – usually their parents – and posting a small sign if they sell potentially hazardous food.
It is common sense, pure and simple. Kids and parents should not have to worry about being hassled by overzealous adults, and the police would certainly prefer to be customers of these entrepreneurial kids rather than shut them down.
As part of the bill announcement, we held a press conference where more than a dozen entrepreneurial kids showed up to explain why this bill is important. If you didn’t watch the video, you should take a moment to watch. The kids were incredibly impressive and well-spoken. If they are the future, we’ll be just fine.
You also might have heard of the tragic abortion changes New York made recently, and that Virginia is considering currently. New York recently passed a third-trimester abortion law that allows abortion up to the moment of birth with virtually no restrictions, and the Virginia legislature is now considering the same. In a recent radio interview Virginia governor Ralph Northam described the bill, which he supports, as allowing infanticide – the killing of a newborn baby after birth.
This is not acceptable. This week my colleagues and I held a press conference to reiterate our support for life. Regardless of which side of the issue you are on, most reasonable people can agree that the idea of aborting a baby only moments before she takes her first breath is barbaric.
This week a few brave (or maybe crazy!) constituents come down to the capitol in the middle of the polar vortex just to meet with me. It’s always a joy to see people from the district!
FFA members Rena Johnson of Buffalo and Rebecca Uecker of Howard Lake
Buffalo residents Theresa Neddermeyer and Steve Downer of the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association
As always, if you have any questions about what’s happening at the legislature, or any feedback or ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Have a great week!