Minnesota legislative update: Jan. 21, 2019

The following update on the 2019 Minnesota state legislative session is provided by the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the Church’s official public policy voice in the state. 

What happened at the Capitol last week?

It was another busy week at the Capitol as many committees held their first informational meetings of the 2019 session to get members up to speed on issues within their committee’s purview. In addition, another round of bill introductions brings the total to almost 500 pieces of legislation introduced by both chambers.

Gov. Tim Walz held his first official press conference inviting bipartisan legislators and faith leaders, including Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, to address the importance of ending partisan politics to end the federal government shutdown and funding vital safety net human services programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and Women, Infants and Children programs, for those in poverty.    

What should the public be keeping on their radar?

After the long weekend, marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, committees will start hearing legislation on a variety of topics.

How can Minnesota Catholics take action this week?

Reach out to your legislators. With the Legislature back in session, now is a great time to reach out to your state senator and representative to introduce yourself or get back in touch. Do you have a new state representative in office? Find out who represents you and their contact information by visiting www.MNCatholic.org/actioncenter and click on the directory tab. Reach out to them to make the first contact of the session and let them know that you want to be a resource in the community.

— Minnesota Catholic Conference

Author: The Central Minnesota Catholic

The Central Minnesota Catholic is the magazine for the Diocese of St. Cloud.

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