Dear Neighbors,
I hope that you and your loved ones are having a wonderful summer! I wanted to update you on what I’ve been working on recently and provide more information about the new budget and laws that took effect earlier this month.
At the Capitol
The new two-year state budget went into effect on July 1, along with several laws that my colleagues and I passed this session. Here are a few of the highlights: Continue reading “Rep. Patty Acomb (HD44B): July 18, 2019”
MINNETONKA — State Rep. Patty Acomb, DFL-Minnetonka, is serving her first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 44B.
Lakeshore Weekly News contacted Acomb to ask her a few questions about the legislative session, which ended May 25 after a special session.
How was it serving in a divided legislature?
Minnesota is currently the only state with a divided legislature. As the end of session was approaching, there was much speculation that those divisions would lead to a political stalemate and potentially even a government shutdown. However, I am proud that we came together at the end and passed a compromise budget for the next two years. It doesn’t contain all of the things I had hoped for, but it includes many important provisions that will improve the lives of Minnesotans. My hope is that we can improve the process in the future to allow for more transparency and engagement.
View the complete July 16 article by Franes Stevenson on The Lakeshore Weekly website here.
Rep. Klevorn Proposes People-focused, People-Driven Redistricting ReformsSAINT PAUL — Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision in two landmark redistricting cases, Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek. In a 72-page decision written by Justice Roberts, the majority concluded it could not set a constitutional standard against partisan gerrymandering.
Justice Kagan highlighted in her dissent, “The partisan gerrymanders here debased and dishonored our democracy, turning upside-down the core American idea that all governmental power derives from the people.”
Representative Ginny Klevorn (DFL-Plymouth) chief authored legislation during the 2019 session that would establish a nonpartisan Redistricting Advisory Commission comprised of 12 members of the public and five retired judges. Representative Klevorn released the following statement:
“Minnesotans deserve an honest election process, one that allows the people an opportunity to fairly elect their local elected officials. I wholeheartedly agree with Justice Kagan’s dissent. Although the Court came to this decision today, the Minnesota Legislature can set clear standards that put people before partisan or special interests. I’ll continue to work on people-focused and people-driven redistricting reforms putting all Minnesotans ahead of party, incumbency, and special interests.”
Dear neighbors,
My first legislative session is complete! We ended it with a bang on Saturday morning after a 21 hour floor session to approve a state budget for the next two years. While the new budget doesn’t include everything I had hoped for, it has some really important provisions that will improve the lives of Minnesotans.
If you’d like more information on what got done during the legislative session, please join me and Rep. Ginny Klevorn tomorrow night from 6:30 – 8:00 pm in the Council Chambers of Plymouth City Hall. We’ll share updates on the progress we made and discuss our hopes for the future.
Here are some highlights from the budget: Continue reading “Rep. Patty Acomb (HD44B) Update: May 29, 2019”
Dear Neighbors,
A lot has happened since my last update. With just a few days left in the legislative session, my colleagues and I are working hard to get the job done and deliver a budget that works for all Minnesotans!
Your input is a vital part of the budget process and very important to me. I’d appreciate it if you completed a short survey that will help me represent our community at the Capitol. It’s available here.
Communicating with you is also a priority for me. As we head into the last part of session, events will move quickly. If you’re interested in the latest news, please follow my Facebook page for the most up-to-date information!
I’m following each of the conference committees so I can keep you updated and make sure the best possible compromises are reached. People in our community value great schools, so I’ve been paying close attention to the committee that’s working on the budget for E-12 education.
E-12 Education
In my last update, I talked about our plan to make sure every Minnesota student gets a great education. Increasing per-pupil funding is a key component of that! Under the House E-12 education budget, schools in Hopkins would receive approximately $611 more per student over the next two years. Schools in Minnetonka would receive about $412 more for each student, and Wayzata schools would receive an additional $483 per student.
We know that schools need adequate funding to support students inside and outside the classroom. Unfortunately, the Senate education proposal doesn’t invest enough in our students. Here’s the specifics for how each budget would impact the schools in our area:
| School District | House Budget 2020 | Senate Budget 2020 | House Budget 2021 | Senate Budget 2021 |
| Hopkins | $2,336,778 | $510,847 | $3,913,479 | $755,619 |
| Minnetonka | $2,580,605 | $821,906 | $4,514,882 | $1,210,304 |
| Wayzata | $3,332,860 | $938,425 | $6,202,087 | $1,411,546 |
Schools need adequate funding in order to support students inside and outside the classroom. If they can’t keep up with inflation and rising costs, schools will be forced to layoff teachers, increase class sizes, and make cuts.
Our House budget also provides more funding for special education, para training, and voluntary early learning and preschool opportunities. To ensure that all of these great things are included in the final budget, we need the Senate to recognize the importance of these investments. If this is important to you, please take a minute or two to contact your state senator and others.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or thoughts that you’d like to share with me!
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative
Dear Neighbors,
At this point in the session, our chief responsibility is setting a state budget for the next two years. My House colleagues and I recently announced the framework for the Minnesota Values Budget, which makes significant investments in education, affordable health care, and building safe, inclusive communities. I’m excited to continue working on a budget that reflects our shared Minnesota values!
At the Capitol
The next step in the budget process is working in our finance committees to put together omnibus bills – legislation that includes many individual bills. After the committees approve the budget, the bills will go to the House floor for a vote. After the Senate approves their budget, members of both bodies will meet to work through differences. Continue reading “Rep. Patty Acomb (HD44B) Update: April 8, 2019”
Minnesota is the only state legislature in the country. Like the GOP controlled U.S. Senate, our Minnesota Senate Speaker is blocking bills from being heard.
Here are the issues that are being stonewalled (Sen. Gazelka is beginning to talk about allowing the gun safety bills to be heard):
Dear Neighbors,
I hope you’re enjoying the first few days of spring! Here’s some updates on how I’ve spent the time at the Capitol and in our community:
Spring Has Sprung at the Capitol
The National Humane Society brought puppies to the Capitol last week! We’ve all been working long hours and late nights, so it was a welcome relief to be in a room full of people smiling and playing with puppies. Continue reading “Rep. Patty Acomb (HD44B) Update: March 26, 2019”
Dear Neighbors,
One of the best parts of serving as your representative is talking with young Minnesotans. This week, I had the opportunity to speak with many of them about the issues that they’re passionate about. It’s great to see our students participating in government!
At the Capitol
Allyson McCarthy, a DeLaSalle High School student from our district, got hands-on experience at the Capitol this week. She participated in the House High School Page Program, which gives Minnesota juniors the opportunity to learn more about how government works. More information on the program is available here. I encourage next year’s juniors to apply.
Continue reading “Rep. Patty Acomb (HD44B) Update: March 14, 2019”
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Representative Ginny Klevorn (DFL- Plymouth) will present legislation this evening to the House Elections Subcommittee to establish a Redistricting Advisory Commission. The purpose of the commission is to submit recommended legislative and congressional redistricting plans for approval by the legislature following each decennial census.
“Our current redistricting process at the legislature is not working efficiently,” said Rep. Klevorn. “Over the last couple of decades, courts have needed to intervene and it’s been costly in terms of time, resources and public trust. Minnesotans deserve unbiased recommendations with the goal of producing fairly redistricted lines for future elections.”
The commission consists of 12 members of the public and five retired judges. The bill also establishes a series of principles that must be used in drawing district boundaries. The Minnesota Constitution requires that the legislature adopt new congressional and legislative districts following each decennial census.
The next decennial census will occur next year.
What: An Elections Subcommittee hearing to hear discuss HF 1605
When: This evening, Wednesday, March 6, 7:00 p.m.
Where: 500S, State Office Building. 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul
