Category: SD36

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 5, 2019

WEEK THIRTEEN: Friday, April 5

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We are nearly through all of our bill deadlines. Next week will be the final week for bills to pass through their finance committees and head to the floor. As bills are being heard in committee we also had others pass onto the Senate Floor.

We addressed some important issues on the Senate Floor and there will be more to come. With the House, Senate and Governor’s budget all released now real negotiations can begin on how and where we invest in Minnesota.

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As those discussions begin I want to encourage us all to be civil. There are many toxic statements made on various sides of issues and those tend to end a conversation before it begins. Without discourse we cannot understand each other and without that understanding, parts of what is important is lost. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 5, 2019”

Monday at 9: House DFL Majority Announces New Tax Bill, Talks E-12 Education Budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The House DFL Majority is hosting a news conference on Monday, April 8 at 9:00 AM. in Capitol Room B971 to announce a new tax bill that will make Minnesota’s tax system fairer and provide new revenue that allows for important investments in education, health care, infrastructure, and economic development.

A fact sheet with more information will be distributed at the news conference.

In concert with the tax bill announcement, Democrats will talk about a new E-12 education budget that makes historic investments in Minnesota students and schools honestly without shifts or gimmicks. Continue reading “Monday at 9: House DFL Majority Announces New Tax Bill, Talks E-12 Education Budget”

House DFL Majority Announces New Budget for Higher Education

Two-year tuition freeze is cornerstone of Democrats’ new budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee today announced a new budget that puts students first by making college more affordable, reducing debt, and improving health and safety on campus. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are 775,000 Minnesotans with student debt totaling $27.1 billion.

A fact sheet with more information about the budget is available for download here (this version includes corrected information about average benefit increases for full-time students enrolled in the state grant program).

Minnesotans from all backgrounds deserve a fair shot at earning a quality post-secondary education,” said Chair Bernardy. “The House DFL Higher Education budget eases the financial burden on working families and students, expands eligibility for grants, and will fill gaps in Minnesota’s workforce shortage.”

The budget freezes tuition for Minnesota students at all of the state’s two- and four-year public colleges and universities, and increases financial support for working families by investing an additional $35.4 million in the state grant program. As a result, full-time students who benefit from the state grant program will receive on average more than $400 per year more in financial assistance, and 1,900 more Minnesotans will become eligible for the first time. Continue reading “House DFL Majority Announces New Budget for Higher Education”

Legislators and coalition members to hold press conference ahead of House floor vote on Driver’s Licenses for

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — At 10:45 a.m. on Friday, April 5th, House Majority Leader Ryan Winker, Speaker Melissa Hortman, a bipartisan group of legislators, and the Freedom to Drive coalition will hold a press conference ahead of the House vote for Driver’s Licenses for All. The statewide, multi-organization coalition and bipartisan group of legislators have been working to pass a law this session allowing all Minnesotans, regardless of immigration status, to obtain driver’s licenses.

Who:

  • House Majority Leader Winkler
  • Speaker Hortman
  • Rep. Aisha Gomez
  • Rep. Rod Hamilton
  • Freedom to Drive coalition members, religious leaders
  • representatives from the business community, and law enforcement

What: Press conference ahead of House floor vote for Driver’s Licenses for All

When: 10:45 AM, Friday April 5th, 2019

Where: Minnesota State Capitol Press Conference Room B971; 75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55155

House DFL Majority Announces Health and Human Services Budget

Democrats’ budget lowers costs for Minnesotans, holds Big Pharma accountable, gives doctors and patients more control over care

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – On Wednesday, April 3 the House DFL Majority announced a new Health and Human Services Budget. The budget strengthens health care for all Minnesotans by lowering the cost of care, making drug prices more affordable by holding Big Pharma accountable, addressing health disparities, improving health care for women, and expanding coverage options for Minnesotans.

A fact sheet with more information is available for download here.

“Minnesotans should be able to count on receiving quality health care at a price they can afford. Unfortunately, the deck has been stacked against Minnesotans in favor of insurance companies, Big Pharma, and pharmaceutical middlemen,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), Chair of the House Health and Human Services Finance Division. “This bill will help keep Minnesota a leader in health care by putting patients ahead of profits. It offers solutions to reduce costs, expand coverage, and improve the health of all Minnesotans.” Continue reading “House DFL Majority Announces Health and Human Services Budget”

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 2, 2019

Legislative Snapshot:

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Hello Friends and Neighbors,

I wanted to share with one of my bills I presented in Tax committee today.  The Mississippi Crossings is a redevelopment district created under general Tax Increment Finance (TIF) law. A TIF district is a specific property or set of properties that can be leveraged by giving a great deal to developers, who then build and increase the value of the property. The city then benefits from the increased tax gain from the greater value of the property. These districts typically have a time limit where they can capture the greatest returns in value increases.

The Mississippi Crossings was designated a TIF district in 2014 and given a five year time limit. However, Champlin has yet to receive any Tax Increment Revenues from the Mississippi Crossings. All the development was halted as the land was used as a staging ground by MnDOT while renovating Highway 169 from 2016 to 2018. This bill allows Champlin to truly utilize the permissions granted prior to develop the land and generate revenues to compensate for their initial up front investment of purchasing the properties to develop. Once that option is fully available the process of developing and increasing access to the Mississippi River can begin. As it stands the city of Champlin expects the first receipt of tax increment to be collected in 2019. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 2, 2019”

Wednesday at 11: House DFL Majority to Announce Health and Human Services Budget

LeSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – On Wednesday at 11 a.m., the House DFL Majority is holding a news conference to announce a new Health and Human Services budget.

The House DFL’s HHS proposal budget lowers the cost of health care, addresses rising prescription drug prices, increases the quality of coverage, and gives patients and their doctors more power over their care.

WHAT: News Conference Announcing House Health and Human Services Budget

WHO: Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman; Majority Leader Ryan Winkler; Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), Chair of the House Health and Human Services Finance Division

WHEN: Wednesday, April 3 at 11 AM

WHERE: Room 181, State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Saint Paul

Tuesday at 9: House DFL Majority to Announce New Transportation Budget

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The House DFL Majority is holding a news conference on Tuesday, April 2 at 9 a.m. in Capitol Room B971 to announce a new transportation budget that fixes our roads, bridges, and transit.

The House DFL transportation budget makes honest investments in Minnesota’s crumbling transportation system that will deliver safety, sustainability, modernization, and economic prosperity. A fact sheet with more details will be distributed at the news conference.

WHO:

  • Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman
  • House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler
  • Chair Frank Hornstein
  • Vice-Chair Brad Tabke

WHEN:  Tuesday, April 2 at 9 AM

WHERE:  Capitol Room B971

Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: March 30, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’re enjoying the warmer weather. The pace of the legislative session continues to pick up. We unveiled our budget targets this week, and now committees will begin crafting their budget bills. Here’s a quick update.

Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians Extended

Standing with community members, Governor Walz, and Attorney General Ellison in support of our Liberian community.

On Thursday, President Trump announced a one-year extension of the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians. These protections were scheduled to end on March 31st.

Last week, I sent a letter to President Trump and members of Minnesota’s Congressional Delegation asking them to extend Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: March 30, 2019”

Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 29, 2019

WEEK Twelve: Friday, Mar. 29

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

It has been a longer than usual week. There was a ton of action that I’ll share with you here today.

First, we have seen the culmination of many peoples work. Last week Speaker Hortman wrote a letter and gathered house member signatures to support extending DED (Deferred Enforced Departure) for our Liberian community members and seeking a path to citizenship. Senator Abeler and I then printed more letters for the senate and passed them out on the floor, asking our fellow legislators to support a DED extension as otherwise it would end on March 31st of this month.

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Senator Hoffman, Senator Abeler, and Senator Eaton speaking on behalf of extending DED.

With 48 of 67 Senator signatures, I reached out to Congressman Phillips and sent our letters to Washington DC. He hand delivered them on Wednesday, March 27th to the White House. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 29, 2019”