Senator John Jasinski, who represents Faribault and State Senate District 24, was injured in a snowmobile accident on Friday
afternoon.
According to numerous reports, Senator Jasinski was attending the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association’s annual Winter Rendezvous in Morrison County. According to an updated report from the Morrison County Sheriff’s office, Jasinski was traveling in front of Senator Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks. As they approached an area in the trail where it came to a 90-degree left turn, Jasinski lost control causing him to be thrown off the snowmobile. Johnson then struck the snowmobile that was unoccupied. Senator Jasinski was thrown from his snowmobile and incurred injuries that include a broken pelvis, a fracture of his L5 vertebra, and three broken ribs.
Jasinski was tended to by Morrison County first responders before being flown via helicopter to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale.
Jasinski released a statement yesterday thanking the first responders, the air ambulance service, and those at North Memorial Hospital who are providing him care.
He said he expected to be in recovery for some time, but that will not keep him from his Senatorial duties.
“While the physical recovery may be long, I’m ready to participate with remote access for hearings and floor sessions and [will] fully engage in this session. I also will be in regular communication with Senate staff and my Legislative Assistant to continue to provide the best constituent services to my district. I want my constituents to know they can continue to reach out for assistance, and I will do whatever I can to help.”
Senator Johnson, the Deputy Majority Leader in the Senate, released a statement of his own, which read in part, “I want to thank the Morrison County Sheriff’s office and first responders who provided both me and John the best of care…. I am wishing my friend and colleague the best in his recovery and look forward to having him back here at the Capitol as soon as he is able.”
Jasinski is a former mayor of Faribault, currently serving his second term in the Minnesota State Senate
Lippert says DFL taking ‘holistic’ approach to public safety
Republicans in the State Legislature have made it very clear that they intend to make Public Safety a top priority in the legislative session this
year.
Not to be outdone, DFL legislators introduced a $100 million Public Safety bill to the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee last week that they say will address the rise Minnesota has seen in violent crime over the last two years.
Representative Todd Lippert called the bill “a holistic approach to public safety.”
Among the provisions in the bill is $22 million for law enforcement agencies to implement more patrols outside of the use of a squad car. The idea being, that a police officer will be more engaged with the community when they are not in a car.
“The police need to be rebuilding trust with communities of color, so there’s more trust there,” said Lippert, “and we want to be supporting those efforts.”
Another key component to the bill is in adding more mental health resources to the work done by law enforcement. He said Rice County will has now begun to embed social workers with police departments and the sheriff’s department, and he said the bill looks to expand that program. It also offers funding to expand Mental Health Crisis Response Teams. While Dakota County has a full-time response team, said Lippert, the team that covers Rice County is based in Mankato and because of that is far less effective. He said those resources need to be made available to everyone in Minnesota.
Lippert said there is also funding in the bill for Community Safety Grants that will go to organizations that, as he put it, “are working to stop violence before it starts.”
While there are at least three different bills planned by the Republicans to address the crime problem in the state, Lippert said his party will not be standing on the sidelines as these problems persist.
“We want Minnesotans to know that the DFL is taking public safety very seriously. We want everyone to be safe and feel safe in their communities regardless of what they look like or where they live. ANd we’re taking a wide-angle lens look at this, a holistic approach, and we really want to be thorough about this.”
The bill received a public hearing with the Public Safety committee last week, said Lippert, and it will begin to make its way through other committees this week as well.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here
Council work session will include NAFRS presentation; Kraewood discussion
The Northfield City Council will meet in a work session tonight with several items on their agenda. 
The Northfield Fire and Rescue Service will give a presentation regarding the current succession and governance plans. The Economic Development Authority will update the council on their goings on as well. A splash pad project to be constructed somewhere in the city will also be discussed as will the city’s progress within the strategic plan. And the Kraewood development will be back on the docket tonight as well, as the Community Development Department will give the council an update on the tax increment financing plan for the project.
As this is a work session, there will be no public comments during the meeting, but the council and city staff are always looking to hear from the community. The best way to voice an opinion is to email your city councilor directly or make use of the eComment button in the “Agendas” section of the Northfield City Website.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:00.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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