Legislative update from Senator Carrie Ruud– March 16, 2018

Greetings District 10!

After another busy week at the Capitol, I am proud to highlight two important pieces of legislation that I support. My school safety audit legislation and Senator Housley’s Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act both seek solutions to problems our state is facing. Please take a few minutes to read about these two important pieces of legislation.

 School Safety Audits

On Tuesday, I presented legislation designed to increase school safety. My bill (S.F 3068) creates a new grant program for public school districts to conduct professional safety audits of their local schools in order identify vulnerabilities that need improvement. My proposal will encourage more of our local schools to get an expert opinion so that they can target their weak spots, harden their schools, and ultimately improve student safety.

Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act

On Thursday, I joined Sen. Karin Housley to announce the Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act (S.F. 3437)  which is designed to prevent elder abuse in long-term care facilities and repair the broken state reporting system that failed thousands of families by leaving serious cases of abuse uninvestigated. The Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act is the final product of hundreds of conversations with Minnesotans across the state who experienced abuse, family members of vulnerable adults, and care providers. This bill is an important first step on a path that makes sure our parents and grandparents feel safe and are taken care of at long-term care facilities.

Veterans Day at the Capitol

We had another amazing Veterans Day on the Hill this year. I am thankful for everyone who took the time to come down to the Capitol to visit. We have had a busy year in the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee hearing legislation to protect and support our veterans and I look forward to working on more legislation that will help our veterans.