At the Capitol in St. Paul or maybe Capernaum

Hello all,

I spent a couple of hours at the State Capitol today trying to get some face time with the Senators who sit on the Health Committee that will hear the Bill for the first time on Monday. It felt a little like an introductory warm up lap a few days before the first heat of the race. Thinking of it that way helps me to feel that it wasn’t a waste of time simply because I managed to get face time with just one of the 11 Senators I had hoped to see. I did however talk with a number of legislative aides and delivered my written statement to all of the offices I visited.

Something else happened today that made the trip across the river seem quite a bit more meaningful. While I was meandering through the halls trying to find offices in that extravagant building and trying to look like I knew where I was going, I heard someone talking loudly out in the rotunda. I walked out to see what was going on and just as I stepped out onto the balcony of the second floor, I heard the words: ‘and Jesus said to him, take up your pallet and walk’. I looked to my left and there was a somewhat disheveled looking man about my age dressed in a wrinkled black suit with black Chuck Taylors on his feet reading the passage from the bible where Jesus heals the paralytic.

I froze for a second and then looked up at the deteriorating fresco under the dome while my eyes welled up with tears. For those of you who don’t know the story there are lessons imbedded within it that are worthy of reflection. The most pertinent for me is that the people accompanying the nameless paralyzed character of the story went to great pains in order to get him in front of the miracle worker, and it was clearly worth the effort. In the story, he gets up, picks up his pallet and walks off. I’m not going to elaborate on any religious implications or coincidental synergy of that beautiful little moment I was graced with today. I will say that I felt like I was in the right place at the right time doing the right thing for the right reason and it bolsters the hope that my son and the many like him will one day soon take up their pallet and walk.

Please consider a call, email, letter or visit to the Senators listed below. And if you can, join us at the Capitol on Monday for the hearing at 12 noon. We’ll be there early in preparation for the hearing.

Thanks for your support

M

Health, Human Services and Housing Committee

• Chair: Sen. Kathy Sheran 120 Capitol St. Paul, MN 55155-1606 telephone 651-296-6153 

            E-mail: sen.kathy.sheran@senate.mn

• Vice Chair: Melissa Wiklund 303 Capitol St. Paul, MN 55155-1606  telephone# 651-297-8061

E-mail: sen.melissa.wiklund@senate.mn

• Ranking Minority Member: Michelle R. Benson  115 State Office Building St. Paul, MN 55155-1206

telephone# 651-296-3219
E-mail: sen.michelle.benson@senate.mn

• Chris Eaton 321 Capitol St. Paul, MN 55155-1606  telephone# 651-296-8869

E-mail: here

• Tony Lourey 120 Capitol St. Paul MN 55155-1606 telephone # 651-296-0293

Email:  sen.tony.lourey@senate.mn

• Sean R. Nienow 105 State Office Building St. Paul 55155-1206 telephone: # 651-296-5419

Email: sen.sean.nienow@senate.mn

• Jeff Hayden 208 Capitol St. Paul, MN 55155-1606 telephone: # 651-296-4261

E-mail:  sen.jeff.hayden@senate.mn

• John Marty 323 Capitol St. Paul, MN 55155-1606 telephone: # 651-296-5645

            Email: here

• Julie A. Rosen 139 State Office Building St. Paul, MN 55155-1206 telephone: # 651-296-5713

           Email: sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn

• John A. Hoffman G-24 Capitol St. Paul, MN 55155-1606 telephone: #651-296-4154

            Email: sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn

• Carla J. Nelson 117 State Office Building St. Paul, MN 55155-1206 telephone: #651-296-4848

Email: sen.carla.nelson@senate.mn