Tag: HD50B

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you for the honor of serving Bloomington in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The 2018 Legislative Session finished and the dust has settled. It seems that everything can be spilt into three groups: the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, there is a lot more work that needs to be done if we are to build an economy that works for everyone and a better future for all Minnesotans.

There were some bright spots for Bloomington. I am glad we passed funding for $12 million in upgrades at Normandale Community College, $15 million for renovations at Fort Snelling state park, and $10 million in funding for metro parks, which supports regional parks in our community. The 494 and 35W interchange was selected for a $204 million upgrade to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety. We also reformed the state’s pension programs, which will stabilize pensions for teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other state workers for years to come. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: June 8, 2018”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

We have about a week to finish up our work at the legislature and a lot needs to come together for things to go smoothly.

Just Over A Week Remains

We must finish our work by the time the clock strikes midnight on Sunday, May 20th. The last few years we had a rough end to the legislative session. Unfortunately, we are really behind schedule and it might be a repeat of past years where a lot of work was not finished. We still have not had meaningful discussions on adequate school funding, finding solutions for the state’s opioid crisis, protecting seniors from abuse, making our schools safer and ending senseless gun violence, shoring up state pensions, fixing public infrastructure, and protecting hard-working Minnesotans from tax increases. In fact, the Dayton Administration has sent Republican leaders 270 pages of input and concerns about legislation being considered without much of a response. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: May 11, 2018”

Dear Neighbors,

Major road improvements in Bloomington were announced this morning! MnDOT (Minnesota Department of Transportation) will add MnPASS lanes to portions of 494 near 35W to help traffic flow during rush hour. The 494/35W interchange will also receive some major upgrades. Like any major construction project it will take time to finalize the details, but the bottom line is improvements are on the way. Here are more detailed descriptions for two of the projects from MnDOT.
Highway 494, France Avenue to Highway 77 – estimate up to $134 million
This project will construct a MnPASS lane on Interstate 494 from France Avenue to Highway 77 in the eastbound direction and a MnPASS lane from Highway 77 to I-35W in the westbound direction. The proposed project is intended to improve the capacity of the interstate and dramatically improve the reliability of the average rush hour trip.

Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: May 1, 2018”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

We’ve finished most of our committee work and omnibus bills are moving quickly for a vote on the House Floor. The House Majority’s plan for quick passage includes bundling various issue areas, some of which are not related, into large omnibus bills. One example is the Transportation and Health and Human Services bill, which we will hear next week.

The Senate is planning to do one, massive, all-encompassing bill, so it will be interesting to see how the two legislative bodies will reconcile the differences within their bills. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: April 27, 2018”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

Our work at the Capitol continues to ramp up with less than five weeks to go; final omnibus bills are coming together and the final deadline to pass most bills with fiscal impacts is set for tonight at midnight. The Property Tax Division will be reviewing its final, large report today, which will then be rolled into the final tax bill. Here is an update on what is happening at the Capitol:

Omnibus Finance Bills Move Forward

Now that the House Majority has announced their supplemental budget targets and begun moving these bills, it’s clear that they’re not interested in investing in the things Minnesotans value like expanding quality early childhood education, keeping college tuition down, making healthcare more accessible and affordable, keeping seniors safe and secure in retirement, and ensuring every Minnesotan has an opportunity to provide a better future for their family. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: April 20, 2018”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

With 5 weeks remaining until adjournment on May 21, the pace has picked up at the Capitol. We returned to work on Monday and had a busy week.  Here’s an update from Saint Paul:

Governor Dayton’s Letter to Republican Majorities

On Monday, the Governor sent a letter to the Senate Majority Leader and the House Speaker to request bills be sent to his desk that have garnered bipartisan commitments since we began the legislative session. These bills relate to protecting the elderly and vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect, ensuring the safety of our school children and educators, addressing the opioid crisis, and stabilizing pensions of Minnesota workers. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: April 13, 2018”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

For those who celebrate Easter or Passover, I hope you had a memorable holiday. I was grateful to spend time with my family.

Although we are still on our recess, I wanted to take a moment to provide you with a mid-session update. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: April 6, 2018”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

The legislature is just about to start its Passover/Easter recess. I am looking forward to spending this time in our community and I hope you are able to find time with friends and family over the coming days. Here are a few updates from the Capitol.

State Contracts Finally Approved
After a long delay, contracts were ratified for 30,000 state workers and were signed by Governor Dayton. These contracts were negotiated and approved last year, but held up for almost six month by Republican leadership. After months of waiting, nothing was changed and the contracts were approved, but Minnesota families were forced to anxiously wait. No family should ever have their livelihood threatened in such a way. It’s nice to see that we’re finally doing right by the people who plow our roads, inspect our bridges, protect our environment, monitor health emergencies, and respond when our state is in crisis. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: March 29, 2018”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

Yesterday was the first in a series of deadlines to help legislators focus their efforts before session ends. A special thanks to all the legislative and agency staffers for their hard work during this busy time of year. Your commitment to public service and contributions to the great state of Minnesota are much appreciated.

Gun Violence Prevention Measures Halted

After weeks of sustained protests, calls and emails in the wake of the Parkland, Florida shooting, any progress on stopping senseless gun violence has ended for this year. Hopes were high last week when a bipartisan group of Senators introduced two bills: one for criminal background checks on all gun purchases and most transfers, and a second that would combat straw purchases by requiring gun owners to report missing or stolen guns. Senate Republican leadership said they have no intention of hearing those bills. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: March 23, 2018”

Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

On Wednesday. Governor Dayton delivered his eighth and final state of the state address. It is pretty incredible how far Minnesota has come since Governor Dayton took office. Former Governor Tim Pawlenty left Minnesota in rough shape with a $6.2 billion budget deficit and he borrowed $1.9 billion from our schools. Minnesota has bounced back amazingly well; but don’t take my word for it, this is how Minnesota ranks against other states. Continue reading “Rep. Andrew Carlson (HD50B) Update: March 16, 2018”