Newsletter Archives

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

North Star Newsletter | November, 2010

Honoring and Serving Veterans

Earlier this month, I spent Veterans Day celebrating our nation’s heroes at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights and at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center. I was also recently honored to attend the dedication of the Metro State University Veterans Center. I cherish these opportunities because I came to the Senate to do right by Minnesota’s veterans. I am proud that my first piece of legislation was a veterans health care bill, and I continue to look for opportunities to ensure that veterans get the quality service and resources they deserve from the federal government. To this end, after receiving a complaint from a constituent, I called for an investigation into the Hastings veterans home to make sure that the residents are being treated properly. And as a result, the home is undergoing a thorough review of its practices and treating its residents better.

Flood Update

This fall, several communities in southern Minnesota experienced severe flooding. I had the opportunity to see firsthand some of the tremendous damage these communities endured. While the federal resources made possible by President Obama’s disaster declaration have gone a long way to help in the recovery process, I want to praise the communities for their initial rapid response systems. If they hadn’t been in place, the damage would have been that much worse. I continue to be impressed by the ability of Minnesotans to come together and support one another during the recovery process, and I’m glad that the Department of Labor has been able to help out and shoulder some of the burden. To help, I’ve posted a list of phone numbers in each county that residents can call to report the flood damage they've suffered. There is also a Q&A to answer any questions people might have, and as always, feel free to call my office for assistance.

Manufacturing in Minnesota

Recently, I spoke to the 2010 Manufacturing Summit about the future of manufacturing and its important role in Minnesota’s economic recovery. However, even as our nation continues along the path to economic stability, manufacturers in Minnesota are facing a surprising challenge—there are almost 4,000 job openings across the state that are going unfilled because there aren't enough qualified people to fill them. These are good-paying jobs going unfilled, and that worries me. We need to innovate and expand manufacturing jobs if we are going to compete globally and succeed in the future. And we need to reaffirm our commitment to math and science education. Thankfully, there are organizations like the Minnesota Center for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence, which is working to rekindle the interest of young people in manufacturing, math, and science. I will be working with them to keep the industry strong in Minnesota.

Looking Forward

Now that the Senate is back in session, we’re hoping to accomplish several pieces of unfinished business. Last week we began debating a food safety bill to combat the spread of foodborne illnesses by giving the Food and Drug Administration additional tools, like the ability to trace and recall contaminated foods. This bill is especially important to me, because in 2008 three Minnesotans died from salmonella-contaminated peanut butter. If the FDA had the resources and authority granted in the food safety bill when the outbreak occurred, these deaths could have been prevented. You can read more about the food safety bill on my website. Other legislation that I hope to address in the next few weeks includes extending unemployment insurance, middle class tax cuts, and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.