2019 Session preview with House Speaker Melissa Hortman
Category: SD36
Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: December 28, 2018
Dear Neighbors,
Happy Holidays! This is a wonderful time of the year to spend in the company of loved ones. I hope you and yours have had a joyful holiday season so far, and have a safe and happy New Year as well.
Open positions on boards and commissions
Minnesota’s Secretary of State has announced open positions on over 200 boards, commissions, councils, work groups and task forces. See the link below to check on ways you can serve on one of these advisory boards. https://www.sos.state.mn.us/boards-commissions/
Help available for aging or disabled friends and loved ones
As we gather with loved ones for the holidays, the MN Dept. of Human Services reminds us that this can be a good time to ask elderly and/or disabled friends and family about struggles with loneliness, daily tasks and safety. DHS and the MN Board on Aging offers these helpful resources:
Senior LinkAge Line 1-800-333-2433 or http://www.seniorlinkageline.com/
Disability Hub MN 1-866-333-2466 or https://disabilityhubmn.org/
Reminder: Heating Assistance and Cold Weather Rules
For those Minnesotans under certain income levels, help may be available for payment of energy bills, help with utility disconnections or fuel deliveries, and advocacy with power companies and human service providers. For more information please visit the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s website here.
The Minnesota Cold Weather Rule is now also in effect, which protects residential utility customers from having their heat shut off during the winter months. More information is available from the Public Utilities Commission here.
New Laws
On January 1st, a few more laws passed during the 2018 legislative session go into effect. One of these is a significant expansion of our first responders’ ability to get help following post-traumatic stress disorder. Other topics touched on by these laws include consumer protection, municipal waste collection, and notaries public. Read the full list here.
2019 Legislative Session
The 2019 Legislative Session starts on January 8, 2019, and it will be my honor to continue serving our community at the State Capitol. My top priority as your voice has been to ensure the things our community values are at the forefront here at the Capitol. As always, please contact me anytime with your input. I appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Melissa Hortman
New Minnesota legislators get crash course in the Capitol and its ways
Incoming legislators get lessons in history, decorum and how things are done.
A new class of state lawmakers filed into the ornate House chamber Wednesday afternoon for a presentation on decorum, some posing for selfies before taking a seat behind desks that do not yet bear their names.
The 39 new members of the Minnesota House — some of whom are returning after a term or two out of office — are in the middle of a crash course on how the Legislature works. The large freshman class will constitute more than a quarter of all state House members, and 45 percent of Democrats, when the Legislature convenes Jan. 8.
“We’re learning the nuts and bolts — how to create a bill and get it through committees, and just the detail-y things of what it will mean to be a legislator,” said Rep.-elect Kelly Morrison of Deephaven, one of the many new Democrats who ousted a Republican incumbent and helped put the DFL in control of the House.
View the complete November 28 article by Jessie Van Berkel on The Star Tribune website here.
November 8, 2018 House DFL Media Availability
House Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), Majority Leader-elect Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley) and Majority Whip-elect Rep. Liz Olson (DFL-Duluth) held media availabilities following the DFL caucus organizational meeting.
Strong suburban showing puts DFL in control of House
The DFL will control the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 2019-20 biennium.
Winning a number of key races in the Twin Cities suburbs, the DFL picked up 18 seats in Tuesday’s elections and will hold a 75-59 advantage when the House convenes Jan. 8, 2019.
Much of the change occurred in the Twin Cities suburbs, especially near and just off the Interstate 494-694 corridor, where DFL candidates beat incumbent Republicans in places like Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Edina, Lakeville, Plymouth, Rosemount, Stillwater and Woodbury.
Three races were within 250 votes: Rep.-elect Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn (DFL-Eden Prairie) beat Rep. Jenifer Loon (R-Eden Prairie) by 241 votes with 20,577 votes cast; Rep.-elect Kelly Morrison (DFL-Deephaven) beat Rep. Cindy Pugh (R-Chanhassen) by 216 votes with 23,372 cast; and Rep.-elect Shelly Christensen (DFL-Stillwater) beat Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R-Stillwater) by 137 votes in a race where 22,630 votes were cast.
Election endorsement: House District 36A: Zack Stephenson
The contest for the open seat in Champlin and Coon Rapids pits an energetic Hennepin County prosecutor against a longtime high school wrestling coach and physical education teacher. Our nod goes to the attorney, DFLer Zack Stephenson, for his leadership potential and the grasp he exhibits of major issues that will confront the 2019 Legislature.
Stephenson, 34, grew up in Coon Rapids and earned his law degree at the University of Chicago. He acquired his political spurs working on the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and House Minority Leader Melissa Hortman. His legal specialties include election law. He would be a valuable voice at the Legislature on matters such as early voting and the re-enfranchisement of former felons. He has thought deeply about the future of higher education, the state’s response to climate change and how to fund highways as electric vehicles make the gas tax obsolete.
Republican Bill Maresh, 57, calls himself “just a regular guy” with a desire to serve his community. Years in athletics taught him the value of competition, he says; he would seek to instill more of it in K-12 education with vouchers and in health care with more private insurance options and price transparency. He’s likable and earnest, but does not exhibit the familiarity with the state’s issues an effective legislator needs.
View the October 29 editorial by the Star Tribune’s Editorial Board here.
Tim Simons Wants You to Make Your Voice Heard This November
Candidate Lawn Signs
It’s lawn sign season!
We’re gathering information on how you can contact campaigns and get a lawn sign showing your support for them.
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Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 20, 2018
Dear Neighbor,
I hope summer has been treating you well. We all know summer in Minnesota is truly something special. No matter our differences, we come together to enjoy everything our state and community has to offer. I hope you can get out and enjoy some time with family and friends, and get to know our neighbors.
National Night Out and Night to Unite events in Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids
National Night Out and Night to Unite events will be taking place in Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids on Tuesday, August 7. These events help build stronger neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: July 20, 2018”
Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: June 12, 2018
Dear Neighbors,
The 2018 legislative session has concluded, and I’m writing to share my perspective on the outcomes. This past session was disappointing — there were a couple of modest accomplishments but many more missed opportunities.
First, the accomplishments. The Legislature passed a bipartisan capital investment bill investing more than a billion dollars in infrastructure — including safety improvements to school buildings, maintenance and construction on the campuses of the University of Minnesota and Minnesota’s State Colleges and Universities, wastewater treatment plants, flood hazard mitigation, local roads and bridges, historic Fort Snelling, parks and trails, libraries, zoos, and Minnesota’s correctional facilities, among others. The capital investment bill will create thousands of good paying jobs and will support our state’s economic health. Governor Dayton signed the bill, enacting it into law. This was one of the few bills where Republican legislative leaders worked effectively with the Governor, resulting in a new law, rather than a vetoed bill. Continue reading “Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: June 12, 2018”