Category: SD49

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.

View the complete November 7 article by Mike Cook on the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services’ website here.

https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2018/08/hillary-12-vs-donald-7-meet-districts-may-decide-control-minnesota-house

The following article by Peter Callaghan was posted on the MinnPost website August 24, 2018:

House Speaker Kurt Daudt in front of Republican House candidates on the filing deadline. Credit: Peter Callaghan, MinnPost

Insiders call them “borrowed ground” or even “rented districts.”

They are the dozen or so Minnesota state House districts carried by Hillary Clinton two years ago but narrowly won by Republicans lawmakers in the same election. Now they are the focus of both parties’ attempts to control the body.

With an open governor’s seat and the state Senate likely to remain in a one-seat GOP majority, the 134 House seats on the November ballot will either give the Republicans complete control of the state Legislature — or ensure that Democrats have a share of power.

View the complete article here.

Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: August 24, 2018

REAL ID FACTS

Minnesota REAL ID Cards Will Be Available After Oct. 1, 2018

What is a REAL ID?

A Minnesota REAL ID is a federally compliant driver’s license or state ID that will look similar to your current state driver’s license, but would contain security enhancements intended to prevent tampering, counterfeiting or duplication. The also include a bar code with data currently on your card such as endorsements or restrictions.

When do you need to get a new driver’s license or ID card?

Minnesotans whose driver’s licenses or identification cards expire before October, 2018, should plan to renew their cards as they normally would.  The optional REAL ID-compliant cards will not be available in Minnesota until October, 2018. Continue reading “Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: August 24, 2018”

Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: August, 2018

Interim Update                               August, 2018

An interim update from your Senator

Dear Constituents and Friends,

Happy summer! As many of you know, the 2018 legislative session ended in May. However, the work continues during the interim. I am pleased to share a summer update with some of my work as well as new laws that became effective as of August 1st.

I kicked off the beginning of summer by planning a town hall meeting in the district and attending a variety of end of session reviews including the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs, breakfast with Edina Ham and Eggs, WCCO radio, Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, Eden Prairie City Council, and the Bloomington Advocacy Council, among others. I’ve also had the privilege to hear from many of you directly. In late May, I met with a group of constituents to learn about their concerns regarding gun and school safety and was invited to tour the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility to learn more about gun safety practices. The nonparitsan organization No Labels invited me to engage in productive conversation regarding federal and state policy.

The Beacon Interfaith Collaborative invited me to participate in a conversation to discuss the success of securing bonding dollars for affordable housing. I also visited the Bloomington Central Station to learn about future development plans and attended the groundbreaking of the Mall of America Transit Station also in Bloomington. Continue reading “Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: August, 2018”

Rep. Paul Rosenthal (HD49B) Update: July 19, 2018

 

Rep. Paul Rosenthal (49B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

I hope summer has been treating you well and you’ve been able to enjoy some time with family and friends.

Explore Minnesota

As you plan summer travel, considering checking out Explore Minnesota for ideas. They have wonderful resources and great travel ideas in a region you may already be planning to visit, or ideas for a trip you’ve never even considered.

Property Tax and Renters Credit

I want to remind everyone to apply for a property tax refund or renters credit before it’s too late. Far too many Minnesotans qualify for this refund but many also forget to file!

The deadline to file for a property tax refund is August 15th. Take a few minutes and apply for your refund online at the Department of Revenue’s Property Tax Refund website.

New Laws

Several new laws went into effect on July 1st, which included licensing for athletic trainers, changes to the Taconite Economic Development Fund, adjustments to the legislative budget office, and personal claims against the state. You can read more about the new laws here. Continue reading “Rep. Paul Rosenthal (HD49B) Update: July 19, 2018”

Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: June 8, 2018

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The 2018 session ended after the Minnesota Legislature reached a May 21th constitutional deadline to complete our work for the year. We started out this session with bipartisan agreement to act on many issues important to Minnesotans:  the opioid crisis, elder abuse, tax conformity, sexual harassment, school safety, and more. The Legislature had an opportunity this year to protect elders and vulnerable adults; make schools safer and class sizes smaller, lower health care costs, tackle distracted driving, reform gun safety laws, and address a $3 billion backlog of statewide construction projects. Minnesotans from every county and all walks of life visited the Capitol and urged lawmakers t find common ground to accomplish this important work.

After 12 weeks of meetings, hearings, and debates, the Legislature passed bills that I am proud to have supported and some that missed the mark on crucial policy issues important to Minnesotans. Without approval of state emergency funding for our schools, budget shortfalls will create instability for at least 52 local school districts that could lead to teacher layoffs and larger class sizes, denying our kids the individualized attention they need to learn and grow. Continue reading “Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: June 8, 2018”

Rep. Paul Rosenthal (HD49B) Update: May 31, 2018

Rep. Paul Rosenthal (49B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well. The Legislature adjourned on May 20 shortly before midnight. We started out session twelve weeks ago with bipartisan agreement to act on many issues important to Minnesotans: the opioid crisis, elder abuse, tax conformity, sexual harassment, hands-free driving and more. Unfortunately, final proposals under each of these categories either did not adequately address the problem, or simply did not advance throughout the session.

Now that the Legislature has adjourned for the biennium, I’d like to take a moment to give you a brief recap from the Capitol. Continue reading “Rep. Paul Rosenthal (HD49B) Update: May 31, 2018”