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Friends and neighbors, 

It’s good to be back in Saint Paul. We’ve hit the ground running with legislation we’ve been working on for the past several months. Input from the community over the past few weeks has been incredibly valuable as we dive into issues touching all corners of the state.  

I’ll be serving on the Human Services, Education, and Elections committees. As we head into the new biennium, it’s up to us to work across the aisle to pass a state budget. It’s also vital that we protect the progress we made over the past two years, especially when it comes to supporting our education system. 

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I have already introduced a bill [ [link removed] ] to make it easier for schools to update their roofs when they need to. I’m excited to continue working on issues that impact our district. 

Here’s an update on some other important things impacting our community. 






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Visiting Schools in our District

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On Monday, I had the chance to visit two charter schools, Northwest Passage High School and Global Academy.

Learning about challenges and successes our school systems are experiencing is highly valuable to my work at the Capitol, and year to year can look different. Thanks for welcoming me! 



I also had the pleasure of welcoming a few students from Eagan High School to the Capitol for Youth in Government! I’m excited to see this next generations of leaders grow and learn.  

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Bird Flu (H5N1)

If you’ve heard about bird flu but aren’t exactly sure how or if it will affect you and your family, I recommend taking a look at this article from NPR [ [link removed] ] that explains the history of how bird flu has evolved over the past few years.  

With government websites being ordered by the Trump administration to scrub public health information and issue funding freezes [ [link removed] ], it’s important to be vigilant and seek trustworthy sources of information on these matters. I recommend keeping up to date through the American Medical Association, where you can find frequent [ [link removed] ]updates on the bird flu and other important public health matters. You can also follow the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP [ [link removed] ]). 

If you or your family are currently experiencing negative impacts of these funding freezes, please reach out to me.  

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Town Hall with Attorney General Keith Ellison

Join me and Rep. Liz Reyer for a town hall on medical debt with Attorney General Keith Ellison on Tuesday, February 18th at 6pm! You can RSVP here [ [link removed] ]. Location will be provided to those who RSVP before the event.  

Keith Town Hall
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Passport Renewal

Thinking of taking a trip soon? The U.S. Department of State is experiencing higher than usual wait times, so if you have plans to travel outside of the country or anticipate making plans soon, click here [ [link removed] ] for a helpful video on by-mail renewal or here [ [link removed] ] for information on in-person renewal or first-time applicants.   

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Recipe of the Week

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If you’re like me, the news coming out of Washington has been overwhelming lately. In between calling my congressmembers and working to protect our progress here in Minnesota, one thing that keeps me going is gathering with my family around a good meal at the end of a long day. Food connects us, comforts us, and fuels us to continue to fight extreme MAGA policies that threaten our democracy. In the name of community and longevity of our fight, I want to share some of my favorite recipes that are staples in our household. First up is an easy cilantro lime chicken by Suzy Karadsheh that you can do either in the slow cooker or the oven! Find the recipe here [ [link removed] ]. If you have a recipe from your table to share with our community, send me an email <[email protected]> to feature it in a future update! 







Stay Connected

Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account.   

To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out by email at  [email protected], or by phone at 651-296-4192. You can contact my new Legislative Assistant, Isabel, at 651-296-5999 or via email at [email protected]. 

It is an honor and a privilege to represent you at the Capitol. 

  

All my best, 

Bianca Virnig 

State Representative 






State Representative Bianca Virnig

5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155

Phone: 651-296-4192
Email: [email protected] "(replies to this newsletter are not monitored)"
Website: www.house.mn.gov/52B [ [link removed] ]







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