Representative Kristi Pursell (D-Northfield) said the Minnesota House of Representatives had some long nights last week as they debated several omnibus finance bills, as well as some contentious bills about gun safety. Those bills were met with very passionate opposition and brought many amendments from those who disagreed with the idea, causing debate to go into the very late hours. Thursday night, in fact, the House was in session on the floor until 12:45 am.
One of the bills focused on the reporting of a stolen firearm to the police within 48 hours. Some opposed the bill because they said it punished responsible gun owners who do not check their guns on a daily basis, while others opposed it because they oppose all firearm regulation legislation because they see it as an encroachment on the 2nd Amendment.
Another bill requires that guns be unloaded when put away, and they must be stored in a locked and secure place. Again, there was quite a bit of opposition to the bill, and there were many amendments causing another long debate. Representative Pursell said the bills were not meant to take away the rights of gun owners. They are meant to keep children safer.
“Because we know that now, for the first time in history, gun violence is the number one killer of children in the United States. That has surpassed car accidents, it has surpassed everything else that threatens our young people. It’s now gun violence. So, we’re trying to make access to guns more difficult for children.”
In the end, both bills were passed with bipartisan support, and Governor Walz is expected to sign them in the coming weeks.
Pursell also said she is hopeful that a bonding bill can get passed in the next couple of weeks, but she is unsure if it will happen or not. A bonding bill requires a 3/5 majority to pass in both houses of the legislature, and Republicans have signaled they are open to a bill that focuses mostly on roads and bridges and only provides money to government entities. Pursell has been working on an $8 million request from the City of Northfield for the Bridge Square renovation project, which would seem to meet the basic criteria Republicans are focusing on.
The legislature is constitutionally required to adjourn by midnight on May 20th.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Kristi Pursell can be heard here
Poet Laureates ‘build their own role’
On Friday, the Northfield Public Library, the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission, the Library Board, and the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library announced that Russ Boyington, who writes under the name Russ Paladin, has been named as Northfield’s next poet laureate.
According to a statement issued by the library, the poet laureate position is part of an overall effort to advance the visibility, quality, and appreciation of poetic arts in schools, among practicing poets, and for public audiences. During his three-year term, Boyington will serve as a coordinator and creative leader for poetic and literary arts in the community.
The position is responsible for the monthly Poetry Open Mic Event at the library, as well as introducing special guest poets and other projects. Funding for the program is split between the Northfield Public Library and the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library. The library has an honorarium for the poet laureate in its budget, while the Friends provide the funding for the poetry events.
Northfield Director of Library Services Natalie Draper said a community like Northfield, that is so rich in creative talent, has a culture that lends itself to the poet laureate program. With that said, each person who takes the position finds their own approach.
“They get to kind of build the role. Other than the existing programs like running the open mic poetry every month at the library and working with us on things like sidewalk poetry, we really let them use their creativity to design what that role is going to look like. So, everyone brings something different to it.”
The search for a poet laureate has been ongoing for most of the year. Draper said Boyington was selected for several reasons, but she highlighted his teaching background and his desire to work with Northfield’s young people.
“I think with Russ, what really stood out was the way that he uplifts youth voices. We’re really looking forward to him working with our youth through poetry and engaging them in poetry. I think that’s really exciting.”
The position is currently held by D.E. Green and Becky Boling under the group name “CoPoLos,” and was held previously by Rob Hardy. Boyington’s term will start in June.
Love Our City Day sets northfield apart
Volunteer registration is now open for the annual Love Our City Day.
The event, which brings people together to work on municipal gardening and maintenance projects, is a collaboration between Northfield Shares, the City of Northfield, the Northfield Area Faith Community, and other community partners.
This year the event is set for May 18th, from 9am-noon.
Volunteer opportunities include cleaning up branches, brush and garbage in Ames Park and Way Park, planting at the parklets on Division Street, planting trees, weeding and cleaning the rain garden at the Northfield Depot, weeding and mulching around the Northfield Public Library, weeding and mulching around City Hall, weeding and mulching around the Northfield police station, or weeding and mulching along 2nd Street, 7th Street, or along the Riverwalk. Erica Campbell, the Chair of the Northfield Shares Board, said these are the days and events that set Northfield apart from most other places in Minnesota.
“These are the things that people notice. I think when they come to town, they see how wonderful the flowers look and that kind of thing. And so, this is something that makes us that kind of community. And it’s a lot of fun just to hang out with your neighbors and friends.”
Northfield Shares is a community foundation that manages several different funds to which people can donate for specific reasons. Carrie Carroll, the Northfield Shares Executive Director said a fund set up by Ruth Nutting in 2017 was established with the sole purpose of making Northfield a more beautiful place.
“A lot of times those dollars from that fund specifically go toward – obviously – the beautification of our town. That was the intention of Ruth Nutting when she created the fund, spend money to make downtown Northfield a nice place to look and feel warm and welcoming. So sometimes you’ll see the flowers on Bridge Square have been funded by this fund, or the picnic tables on the river walk and the umbrellas. Some of those dollars came from the Ruth Nutting Fund.”
Check-in for the various opportunities will vary. Visit the Northfield Shares Volunteer Hub at northfieldshares.org for details.
KYMN Daily News 5/6/24
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
