Commissioners attend Association of Minnesota Counties
The Association of Minnesota Counties held their state-wide conference on February 21 and 22. A delegation from Cook County traveled to St. Paul to attend the sessions, including County Commissioners Ann Sullivan, Dave Mills, and Ginny Storlie. At the end of the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Feb 27, the three gave an update on what they took away from their time in the capitol.
At the conference the Cook County delegation was able to meet with our elected state representatives. All of the Commissioners commented on the responsiveness of both Senator Grant Hauschild and Representative Roger Skraba.
During the county board meeting Commissioner Sullivan reflected on how well she thinks the legislators, who are from different parties, work together. She said, “ I again, want to just stress how fortunate we are that Senator Hauschild, and Representative Skraba work together across the aisle for the benefit of northern Minnesota, they are absolutely stellar. It’s not about following party lines, it’s about getting what needs to be done for the people that live here.”
Beyond meeting with Cook County’s state representatives, the commissioners also attended sessions focusing on different topics that will be discussed as part of this legislative session, including local option sales tax, cannabis legalization, environmental protection including pollution control and wolf management, and open meeting laws. Conversations around these items at the state level are ongoing.
One topic that Commissioner Mills identified as an area for more discussion at the county level was the legalization of cannabis in the state. He pointed to several ways that the state roll-out has raised issues over management for counties. He said at the county board meeting that the AMC sessions emphasized the need for counties to work to clarify policy. Referring to the state plan, Mills said during the county board meeting, “I would say it’s far from a smooth transition into legalization.”
The state’s legislative session opened on Feb 12 and will conclude in May, so official decisions on these topics may not be made for several months. Cook County residents and leaders are also waiting on a bonding decision that will come at the end of the legislative session.
Leaders in our area will have another chance to meet with the legislators soon to talk about resident concerns in the county. Senator Hauschild and Representative Skraba are planning to attend the legislative day hosted in Grand Portage by Cook County on March 15. The legislative day is invitation only, but will include leaders from various levels of local government.
Listen to a longer summary by WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski on the commissioners’ reflections on the conference below.
Kirsten Wisniewski February 28, 2024
