Category: SD50

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: May 3, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

This week the DFL House completed our initial budget work by passing our remaining finance bills off the House floor. This sets the stage for the final weeks of session, where we hope to reach an agreement with Governor Walz and the Minnesota Senate on a budget that will strengthen our communities and improve the lives of Minnesotans.

Minnesota Values Budget

I am proud to support the Minnesota Values Budget that House DFL Majority has passed off the House floor. We are investing in the priorities that all Minnesotans value: affordable health care, world-class schools, safe communities, and economic security for everyone. And we are doing so with an honest, responsible budget that doesn’t rely on gimmicks or budget tricks that would throw us back into deficits. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: May 3, 2019”

Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: May 1, 2019

 

Dear Neighbors,

The House passed its final budget bills 24 hours ahead of our deadline and before the Senate took up most of its major bills. I’m proud we’ve advanced a balanced budget with no increase on individual tax income rates and have delivered several forms of local government aid to bring down property taxes.

Here’s an update on a few key highlights from our budget:

Taxes

The House Taxes plan was also approved last week. Half of the revenue raised in the bill comes from bringing back to Minnesota multinational corporations’ sheltered tax haven dollars from places like the Cayman Islands. Our seniors and small businesses shouldn’t have to pay more to make up for the lost dollars that belong in Minnesota. Tax filing is also simplified for families through tax conformity and by raising the standard deduction. Over half of social security filers won’t pay anything on their benefits. 96% of the bill framework originated from House Republicans’ tax plan last year, so I’m pleased with the fair balance struck that puts families, seniors, and small businesses first. You can learn more here. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: May 1, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: April 26, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

We had a long week at the Minnesota House as my colleagues and I debated, amended, and ultimately passed components of our Minnesota Values Budget off the House Floor. This will likely be the case next week as well, as we engage in the work to balance our state budget. I am proud of the bold budget we are moving forward with and believe it will help improve lives and strengthen communities.

Here are some highlights of the budget bills we’ve passed this week.

E-12 Education

All of our students deserve access to a world-class education, and to that end, we are making historic investments in education from cradle-to-career. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: April 26, 2019”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: April 24, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday last week. The Legislature has returned from our annual Easter/Passover recess and have begun to discuss and vote on budget bills.

Here’s an update from St. Paul:

Late last evening, the Minnesota House approved the E-12 education budget that increases the per-pupil funding formula for Bloomington Public Schools by $968 per student. It makes honest investments in every student across the state, free of shifts, or gimmicks. I’ve heard from countless parents, students, teachers, and staff who have shared with me how budget cuts and growing class sizes have impacted the quality of instruction, support, and education in schools. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: April 24, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: April 12, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

The Minnesota House just finished its floor session today, and we will be off next week for the Easter and Passover break. When we return, the legislature will begin taking up budget bills on the House floor and debating some of the most important priorities of the session. To that end, I would be grateful if you would take a moment to complete my brief legislative survey. I would love to learn more about your values and priorities as we enter this important phase of the legislative session.

You can fill out my legislative survey online here, and a Spanish language version here.

77th Street Underpass Included in House Bonding Bill 

We had exciting news for Richfield and our entire south metro region this week when my bill to fund the last phase of our 77th Street/Cedar Underpass was included in the House Capital Investment Bill. A major thank you to Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez and local leaders that came to the Capitol to testify on this important project. With this funding we could break ground soon on an important investment for our region and state. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: April 12, 2019”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: April 10, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well. Major budget bills are coming together and our focus will soon shift from committee to longer floor sessions. Here’s an update from the Capitol:

‘Hand-Free’ Legislation on its way to Governor

The Minnesota House of Representatives today passed the final, compromise ‘hands free’ bill after differences were reconciled with the Minnesota Senate. I was glad to support this long overdue, lifesaving measure for all Minnesotans. The Governor is expected to promptly sign the conference committee report this week, making Minnesota the 17th state, including the District of Columbia to require a ‘hands free’ device while driving.

Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: April 10, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: April 5, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

The Minnesota House is hard at work preparing our state budget. I want to give you an update on some of our priorities, as well as other key bills moving through the legislature.

Public Safety and Transformative Criminal Justice Reform 

It has been a privilege to serve on the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee, and this week we finalized our omnibus bill. We passed a transformational bill that takes our charge to focus on criminal justice reform to heart, including:

  • Police Excellence Task Force, which I authored to improve public trust and accountability with law enforcement
  • Significant probation reform and limiting cash bail
  • Restoration of voting rights to those that have served their time
  • Creation of a sexual assault working group to address systemic gender-based violence
  • Real action to address gun violence, including background checks on gun sales and extreme risk protection orders

Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: April 5, 2019”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: March 28, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

Two months remain in the legislative session. Here’s an update on some of the progress we’ve made:

House DFL Lawmakers Announce Framework for Minnesota Values Budget

House DFL lawmakers announced a framework for the Minnesota Values Budget this week. Our budget makes significant investments in education, affordable health care, and safe & inclusive communities to build a Minnesota that works better for everyone. Minnesotans care about each other, and we want to see one another succeed. Our new budget framework invests in priorities that Minnesotans have told us they value, and will help improve the lives of people across the state.

Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: March 28, 2019”

Situation in the Minnesota Senate

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):