Dear neighbors,
Monday, February 18 was a historic day at the legislature as leaders from all 11 of Minnesota’s tribal nations came to the Capitol for the first Sovereignty Day. The leaders spoke about history, culture, tribal law, and the relationship between state and tribal government. You can watch the presentations here.
Addressing the Opioid Crisis
The opioid crisis continues to cause tragedies across the state, many of them here in northern Minnesota and in our tribal communities. For too long, families and communities have paid the price – both in dollars and lives lost – while the pharmaceutical companies who started this epidemic collect record profits. HF 400 would establish an Opioid Stewardship Advisory Council to provide grants for education, treatment, and recovery programs with money from fees paid by pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Too many workers are forced to choose between taking care of their loved ones and going without a paycheck. Paid family and medical would give Minnesotans time to bond with a new baby or take care of a sick family member. HF 5 would also help our small businesses compete with large ones who already offer this benefit to their employees.
Private Prisons
HF 1237, a bill to ban private prisons in Minnesota, was introduced today. To me, it’s a no-brainer. Prison corporations put profits ahead of public safety, and their business model stinks to high heaven. Private prisons cut corners to line their pockets, even when that puts inmates and staff in danger. Investigations have found serious issues with these prisons, including high rates of violence and sexual assault, lack of medical care, and poor living conditions.
Land Stewardship Project
This morning I went to the 14th Annual Land Stewardship Project breakfast because I’m supportive of their principles and it’s just about the best food you’ll ever get. You can learn more about the organization and the work they do with Minnesota farmland at landstewardshipproject.org.
I also had the chance to learn about the Forever Green Initiative, a program that the University of Minnesota and USDA are working on together. The goal of the program is to develop new crops that improve water and soil quality. Read more about it at www.forevergreen.umn.edu.
Chronic Wasting Disease
The Cass Lake Times ran my column on the dangers of chronic wasting disease two weeks ago. Two days after it was published, the DNR announced that they discovered the first case of CWD in a wild deer outside of southeastern Minnesota. The animal was found in Crow Wing County, just a few thousand feet from a deer farm with CWD positive deer. It’s clearer now than ever that we must act to prevent this from spreading.
Please feel free to contact me with your questions, comments, and concerns.
Sincerely,
John Persell
State Representative