Tag: Andrew Carlson

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you had a safe and enjoyable weekend. It’s hard to believe we have two weeks left before the end of January.

Earlier this month, House Speaker Melissa Hortman appointed me to serve as the chair of the House Property and Local Tax Division. The honor is bittersweet because the Legislature is still feeling a tremendous loss after the sudden passing of our colleague and friend Diane Loeffler of Northeast Minneapolis, who was previously leading the committee. I look forward to partnering with the House Tax Committee and Minnesotans across the state in this new role.

Real-ID Deadline Approaching

Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: January 21, 2020”

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’re having a good week.

House Majority Leader Winkler and several of my colleagues have been working on laying the groundwork for a safe, responsible, and unique framework for adult-use cannabis legalization that’s responsive to Minnesota’s needs and concerns.

Several people argue that legalizing cannabis for responsible adult-use would expand access and affordability for people who rely on it to treat PTSD or chronic pain (especially veterans), allow law enforcement to focus their resources on more dangerous crimes, and expand personal freedom for Minnesotans, including the thousands who have been swept up in our criminal justice system for minor offenses. Others have public safety and health concerns. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: November 22, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’re enjoying the season of changing colors. With a sunny forecast expected this weekend, you may be interested in checking out the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Fall Color Guide to make outdoor plans.

The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is hosting a bird watching hike this Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. at the Bass Ponds trails of the Long Meadow Lake unit. Learn about some of 200+ species that make a stop during their migration south! Everyone is welcome. You can learn more details at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge’s website here.

Minnesota Values Project

The Minnesota Values Project is a partnership between Minnesotans, elected officials and organizations to create a shared vision for the future of our state. Minnesotans care deeply about our state and want to see one another succeed. Working together, we can strengthen our communities by improving education opportunities, making affordable healthcare a reality, and increasing economic prosperity for all Minnesotans. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: October 18, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

For thousands of families throughout the state, the start of another school year is here. There are countless Minnesotans, including teachers, parents, support staff, administrators and others who are set to hit the ground running – helping our young people learn skills, gain valuable life experiences, and reach academic success.

Here in Bloomington, we value our world-class schools, and our students deserve the support and resources they need to succeed in the classroom.

Despite some challenges under one of the nation’s only divided state legislatures, the Minnesota Legislature delivered substantial investments in our schools. I worked with Governor Walz and my colleagues to secure Bloomington Public Schools’ per pupil funding increase of $244 per student for this school year. Our public schools will see a 2 percent increase each of the next two years –enough to help prevent larger class sizes and classroom cuts. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: August 29, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well! As June comes to a close, I wanted to share with you the new laws that go into effect July 1. Our nonpartisan House Public Information office has put together a comprehensive press release outlining these new laws. You can find a list with more detail of each law here. I’m grateful our investments in Minnesota’s public schools will be secured, our workers will be protected under the strongest wage theft law in the nation, and Big Pharma will be held accountable for their role in the opioid crisis with the newly required manufacturer fees to help with addiction, prevention, and treatment.

Bloomington Summer Fete

On July 3, Bloomington will host its annual Independence Day celebration. This is always a fun tradition my family and I look forward to every year. Festivities will be held at the Normandale Lake Bandshell and begin at 5:00 p.m. There’s a wide variety of family-friendly activities, music, food vendors, and fireworks. You can see the schedule of events here. I hope to see you there! Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: June 28, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

On Sunday evening, House Speaker Hortman, Majority Leader Gazelka, and Governor Walz announced a two year budget compromise. As one of the only divided legislatures in the country, this agreement is a significant bipartisan step forward to improve the lives of Minnesotans.

The compromise preserves health care funding for over 1 million Minnesotans, makes significant investments in our students and schools, and delivers targeted tax cuts for middle class families.

Conference committees and work groups will continue their work with the opportunity for the public to weigh in. You can find the schedule here.

A Bipartisan Deal on Opioids

Today, a House/Senate conference committee arrived at a bipartisan agreement on compromise legislation aimed at putting a stop to Minnesota’s opioid crisis. Funded through fees paid by drug makers and distributors, the bill invests in new and proven strategies to address opioid use disorders. It also delivers funding to counties for the significant public safety resources they are expending. This is an important step in Minnesota’s fight against the opioid epidemic and I’m glad bipartisan consensus was reached.

I’ll keep you posted as more details of the state budget are ironed out.

Please continue to reach out with any questions, comments, or feedback. I appreciate hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Andrew Carlson
State Representative