October 19–25, 2026
A quiet week for passed legislation locally, but two county items are headed to a vote Tuesday and the November election machinery is moving.
A federal bill signed into law this week (HR 7022) lets wireless carriers add satellite delivery to emergency alerts on your phone. If your carrier opts in, you would receive severe weather warnings, missing-persons alerts, and other public safety notices through satellite networks in addition to the usual cell towers, which could matter most in areas with spotty reception. The bill is now law.
For clergy and religious workers. A separate federal bill (HR 227) is now law and opens a two-year window for ordained ministers, nuns, and Christian Science practitioners who previously opted out of Social Security to reverse that decision. Anyone in that group who re-enrolls will owe Self-Employment Tax on ministerial income going forward and become eligible for future retirement and Medicare benefits.
Behind the scenes at the county. Ramsey County renewed its contract for Laserfiche, the software county departments use to store and pull up digital records. The renewal was adopted by the county board Tuesday, October 20, keeping the system running without a gap.
A federal land sale in Sacramento and several other federal bills this week dealt with matters outside Ramsey County.
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Coming up next week:
Job training partnership. The county board votes Tuesday, October 27 on a funding and facilities agreement with CareerForce (a statewide network of workforce centers) to run shared career training programs. The agreement would pool resources between Ramsey County and CareerForce; shared buildings and equipment could also open access to other training providers in the area.
2027 capital borrowing plan. Also Tuesday, October 27, the county board takes up a procedural step on its 2027 capital improvement bond, the plan for borrowing money to fund projects like roads, buildings, or utilities next year. A public hearing is part of the process so residents can review the borrowing plan before any final vote.
November election preparations. The county board has an item on its agenda covering logistics for the November 2026 general election. No firm date is set for that item yet; it is on the board's upcoming agenda without a confirmed vote day.
San Francisco Bay restoration funding (HR 1382) cleared a House committee and awaits a floor vote in Congress; it does not affect Ramsey County.
See what's up for a vote now · Find your representatives