Tag: Rep. Elkins

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the new year. With the legislative session set to begin less than a month from today on February 11, Representative Edelson, Senator Franzen and myself will be hosting a town hall meeting on January 30^th at Edina City Hall from 6:00-8:00 p.m. I hope you can make it to share ideas and input with the Senate District 49 team.

2020 is a big year for several important new initiatives in Minnesota. Read about them below. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: January 15, 2020”

Dear Neighbors,

The House Capital Investment Committee concluded its statewide “bonding tour” last month, visiting several sites across the state, including 54 counties with proposed public infrastructure improvements. Throughout the statewide regional tour, committee members learned about local communities’ infrastructure needs firsthand. Visits included colleges and universities, public safety facilities, wastewater treatment and flood mitigation systems, parks and trails, and many others.

I was able to join the committee as it made two stops in Bloomington to learn about two worthy projects vying for state funding: the Bloomington Center for the Arts expansion and the Normandale College modernization project. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: December 2, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying the season of changing colors and cooler weather.

A lot has been happening around the state and at the Capitol.

Here’s an update from St. Paul:

A Plan for Robo Calls

Earlier this month, my House colleagues announced plans for cracking down on predatory ‘robo-calls’. These spoofed calls are on the rise in Minnesota, with reporting showing approximately 58 calls per person in 2019 so far. Scammers are using the latest technology to swindle people, especially the elderly and vulnerable populations, and it’s time to fight back. Minnesotans are sick and tired of these invasive calls. I look forward to supporting this common-sense legislation when it’s introduced at the start of the 2020 session in February. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: October 29, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

Climate change is one of the top issues that I hear about from fellow community members. People from across the state are organizing in their communities and urging legislators to take action. Young people are particularly dedicated to fighting climate change. On Friday, hundreds of Minnesota students kicked off Climate Action Week by participating in the worldwide Youth Climate Strike.

My colleagues and I are standing in solidarity with the students as they strike. To show our support, we’ve formed a new Climate Action Caucus. This dedicated group of legislators, which I’m proud to be a part of, will work with Minnesotans on a bold, comprehensive plan to fight climate change and create a future in which we all thrive. Please stay tuned for updates.

Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: September 20, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

The cooler weather is a reminder that fall is right around the corner- and with that, comes back-to-school season. I’d like to wish all students, parents, families, teachers, administrators, and support staff an excellent 2019-2020 school year.

After hearing from residents in our community and across the state, state lawmakers passed a budget that makes new investments in every student in every public school. Despite challenges under one of the nation’s only divided state legislatures, our schools will see a per-student funding increase over the next two years, continued access to voluntary pre-k, and additional investments to help address soaring special education shortfalls.

There is much more work to do to provide a world-class education for every child, and I’ll keep advocating for students of all ages and abilities. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: September 11, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you had a great Fourth of July holiday! There were many familiar faces in the crowd for the annual Edina 4^th of July Parade! After six weeks of catch-up yard work, including a major “Buckthorn-busting” project, interspersed with hours of research on legislative topics for next year’s session, I was finally able to carve out some time for my first long bike ride around Hyland-Bush Lakes Park last weekend!

The patio flower and herb garden is thriving with all the rain, and now sun. The tomato plants (Better Bush, Roma and Sweet 100) are huge and starting to set tomatoes. Five kinds of basil, two kinds (each) of thyme and oregano and lots of rosemary plus sage and dill.

I’ve also been staying active in the community and working on a number of legislative issues, one of them being affordable housing. Stable housing is interconnected with nearly all areas of life – it is crucial for a person’s ability to hold a job, seek an education, preserve their health and maintain relationships. Maintaining housing affordability is also critical to the economic competitiveness of our region. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Slkins (HD49B) Update: July 12, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

Happy first day of summer! I hope you’ve been able to enjoy our sunny days.

Although session concluded last month, I’ve been compiling your ideas and input to start my legislative projects for the interim. Since the session ended, I’ve been working with colleagues in both the legislature and state agencies to research and develop future reform legislation on topics such as data privacy, the use of electronic medical records, information technology management and the “Fiscal Note” process used to estimate the cost of proposed legislation. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: June 21, 2019”

Dear Neighbors,

I hope finds you well and enjoying the beautiful weather.

The Legislature adjourned on May 25^th with a budget compromise to protect health care for 1.2 million Minnesotans, many of whom are the most vulnerable in our state, deliver targeted tax cuts to families and businesses, and makes historic investments in our state’s students.
As one of the only divided legislatures in the country, Minnesota proved the art of compromise is not lost. Here’s an overview of our key accomplishments from the 2019 session and goals for 2020:

Taxes

We cut taxes for middle class families, which is the first income tax cut in almost 2 decades. Federal conformity was achieved and as a result, we doubled the standard deduction. Over 90% of Minnesotans will not have to itemize on their returns. We’re also easing the financial hardship on seniors by cutting taxes on Social Security. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: June 6, 2019”

 

Dear Neighbors,

Last week, amid preliminary budget negotiations with the Senate, the House took bold action to reduce soaring prescription drug costs. The legislation would regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), who act as “middle men” between drug manufacturers and pharmacies.

Working on behalf of health insurance plans, PBMs negotiate discounts and rebates on prescription drug purchases with drug manufacturers, keeping a share of the savings for themselves. In exchange for the discounts and rebates, PBMs use the “formularies” (lists of covered drugs) that they create for the health plan to steer the health plan’s members into using the drugs offering the biggest rebates. The greater the volume that the PBM steers towards a manufacturer, the bigger the rebate. However, for many patients, the drug with the biggest rebate may not be the most effective drug. If the PBM negotiates a bigger rebate with a different manufacturer, then a drug that’s been working for you might be dropped from the formulary, midyear. Continue reading “Rep. Steve Elkins (HD49B) Update: May 16, 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”