A message from your Senator
Constituents and friends,
On Tuesday, we finished passing all of the budget bills required to avoid a government shutdown, and I’m glad we satisfied the most basic requirement of our job as legislators by passing Minnesota’s budget on time. As the only divided legislature in the country, policy compromises were inevitable, but it would’ve been truly irresponsible to waste taxpayer funds and harm many people’s lives and livelihoods with a shutdown.
While there are good provisions in each budget bill that will directly and materially improve the lives of Minnesotans, thanks largely to the passionate advocacy of my Senate and House DFL colleagues, we could’ve aimed higher and done far more with our resources. We have a long way to go before we’ve secured a truly safe and sustainable future for our state, and I’m committed to continuing that work.
Some notable budget bill highlights:
Though I’m disappointed in our Transportation budget bill’s lack of forward-thinking vision and long-term planning, I’m pleased with the many quality provisions it does include, from ending the practice of suspending driver’s licenses for non-safety-related matters to providing more funding for Safe Routes to School. I’m especially looking forward to the results of two grants whose inclusion in the bill I helped secure alongside several local partners: $250,000 for an analysis of potential Bus Rapid Transit implementation in the Highway 55 corridor between Medina and Minneapolis, which of course extends across all of Plymouth, and $300,000 to the I-494 Corridor Commission to support their telework promotion and implementation efforts in partnership with businesses along Interstate 494.
As a longtime educator, I’m very grateful for my DFL colleagues’ successful efforts to secure new formula funding for public schools in the Education budget bill, resulting in a far larger investment in public education than was proposed by Senate Republicans, and for our removal of voucher provisions that would have taken money away from public schools to pay for private education. More funding for Voluntary Prekindergarten and for Teachers of Color Incentive programs are also significant steps in the right direction.
A bright spot in the Judiciary and Public Safety bill, which is otherwise very limited due to my Republican colleagues’ disappointing decision to refuse nearly all serious policing and public safety reforms, is the implementation of sign-and-release warrants, which means Minnesotans will no longer be arrested for missing court dates for minor offenses. These misses are often due to clerical errors and communication mix-ups, for which nobody should be arrested, and this new policy has the additional benefit of supporting the increased safety and efficiency of police officers’ day-to-day work.
n terms of my own legislative accomplishments, I’m very proud to have worked alongside my District 44 colleagues in the House, Representatives Ginny Klevorn and Patty Acomb, to secure tax relief for city governments in our district. The Tax budget bill includes sales tax exemptions for building materials used in public safety facility construction in both Plymouth and Minnetonka, as well as an allowance for tax increment financing in Minnetonka to support ongoing and future developments in the city.
As a member of the Capital Investment Committee, I’m anticipating working on a bonding bill later this fall, and am hoping to secure the inclusion of bonding project legislation I authored this session, including several important and necessary public works projects inside District 44 and in neighboring communities.
As next year’s legislative session approaches, I’m looking forward to continuing my advocacy for stringent restrictions on copper-sulfide mining in Minnesota – including my bill that would require any mine permittee to pay the Financial Assurance fees, which fund any reclamation or cleanup actions the state might be forced to take as a result of the mine, up-front at the time of the permit’s issuance, in cash and in full.
I’m also excited to continue my series of infrastructure tours to highlight the function and importance of Minnesota’s typically-unheralded public works industry, and will be joining several of my legislative colleagues on job sites and at facilities in their districts – including a tour of Duluth’s water treatment plant next week with Senator Jen McEwen!
Community News & Events
The popular Music in Plymouth event will be held this coming Wednesday, July 7, from 6:30-10 pm at the Hilde Performance Center. Full details can be found on the event website.
The Minnetonka and Plymouth farmers markets will both take place next week. The Minnetonka market is open from 3-7 pm every Tuesday at Civic Center Park, and the Plymouth market is open from 2:30-6:30 pm every Wednesday at Parkers Lake Playfield.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with input, questions, or concerns!