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”

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”

A weekly message from your Senator

Dear Constituents and Friends,

This Wednesday, the Senate majority introduced their bonding bill. Minnesota lawmakers are expected to put forth big, bold ideas, but this plan falls short of what is needed to repair and preserve taxpayer assets. If we ignore the growing backlog of public works requests from local governments, Minnesotans’ quality of life will decline as a result and businesses will look to other states to invest and create jobs. A strong economy is possible when the private and public sectors work together hand in hand, but this plan will likely leave some businesses scratching their heads. Continue reading “Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: May 11, 2018”

A weekly message from your Senator

Dear Constituents and Friends,

This week we heard several bills on the Senate floor including two significant bills: the Education Policy Omnibus bill and the Tax Omnibus bill. Both of which I did not support. The education bill was filled with questionable provisions that do not advance the education and well-being of our students.

Senate majority leadership waited until May 1 to release their first draft of changes to Minnesota’s tax code. This plan prioritizes corporations, which already got a 40% tax reduction as a result of the federal tax bill, allowing them to keep money parked overseas tax-free, and gives tax cuts to a handful of multi-millionaires. It also sets the state budget up for fiscal instability and ballooning budget deficits, threatening services for children, seniors, and Minnesota families. Continue reading “Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: May 4, 2018”

Volume 4, Issue 9 — April 27, 2018

A weekly message from your Senator

Dear Constituents and Friends,

Curious as to what the Legislature is doing to align Minnesota’s tax code with major federal changes? So am I. The Senate Taxes Committee chair still hasn’t released a bill, with just three weeks left until the end of session. The House Taxes Committee chair finally released a plan this week and dubbed it the “Freaky Fast Bill,” admitting that the Legislature needs to move incredibly quickly to come to an agreement without risking automatic tax increases for at least 300,000 taxpayers.

The Governor’s plan has been out for nearly six weeks, and lawmakers have known since late December that this is a looming challenge. It is frustrating and disappointing that once again we are leaving the state’s most important business down to the wire.  A bonding bill is also yet to be introduced. A lot of work still needs to happen before we adjourn.  Continue reading “Sen. Melisa Franzen (SD49) Update: April 27, 2018”

Volume 4, Issue 8

A weekly message from your Senator

Dear Constituents and Friends,

With just four weeks left in the 2018 legislative session, this week finally brought a handful of bills to the floor. Unfortunately, the bills had nothing to do with the major work left this session. In the nine weeks since session began, only three bills have been sent to the Governor’s desk.

There are only four weeks left and no tax conformity bill has been presented by the Senate majority. Tax conformity is important this year. By running down the time on even releasing their bill, majority leadership is gambling on passage. If the Legislature does nothing, taxes will go up for most Minnesotans. Continue reading “Sen. Melisa Franzen Update (SD49): April 20, 2018”