Dear community,

 

Last week, the Minnesota Legislature held its fifth special session of 2020. During this session, after many months of negotiations, legislators reached an agreement to pass a bonding bill of nearly $1.9 billion to fund long-term investments in the state. As the Council has previously underscored during the 2020 regular session and earlier special sessions, this bonding bill was the last major item remaining from the 2020 regular session and will provide a major economic boost to Minnesotans through investments in new and existing infrastructure, job creation, and equity.

 

Importantly, this was the last special session before the general election to be held on November 3rd, when every seat in the state legislature will be up for election, in addition to a number of important federal offices. This election will have a profound effect on the role of government not just for the next two years, but for the coming decade, as our elected leaders continue to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn and resulting state budget deficit. These leaders will also begin the work of drawing new political districts, directly impacting our representation and resources for the next decade. The work of state government in 2020 in addressing so many challenges, from COVID-19 to public safety, underscores how important it is to ensure our government is representative and responsive to the voices and needs of our diverse and varied communities.

 

If you are eligible to vote, participation in the upcoming election is a crucial way to ensure your views and values are represented at every level of government. If you have questions about the upcoming election and how to vote, I invite you to view the Council’s recent webinar on how to vote, which was live streamed to the Council’s Facebook page. Community members with questions can use this resource to learn about the voting process, election security, and other issues from key election officials in the state, including Secretary of State Steve Simon. You are, of course, also welcome to reach out to our office at any time if you are more comfortable accessing us for election-related questions.

 

As always, the Council stands ready to advocate on behalf of all our communities. Please reach out to us at any time with your thoughts and concerns.

 

Sincerely

 

Sia Her

Executive Director

Sia.her@state.mn.us