Tag: SD36

WEEK Five: Friday, Feb. 8

Friends and Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well despite all the snow and ice midweek. Week five of the Legislative Session has shown an increase in the pace of activity. More bills are being heard and discussed including several of my own addressing how we handle complex medical care. Early in the week I carried a bill through committee that would make grant money available for a parent to parent program that connects those with children afflicted by complex medical conditions. The additional support of a parent with experience in handling our complex medical system as well as an understanding ear drastically reduces stress and improves outcomes. At the end of the week I stood once more for a bill that would ensure communication between providers when a child with a complicated medical diagnosis is discharged from a hospital. This cuts down on accidental redundancies and risks due to a lack of communication between those administering medical care.

Together we make Minnesota better one step at a time. I look forward to next week and thank you for trusting me to take on your needs at the Capitol. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 8, 2019”

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome to Week Four of the session.  What a way to usher in the end of January with the extreme cold to our state, shutting down a lot of businesses, schools and even senate committee hearings. While the polar vortex affected us all I know we Minnesotans are strong people and I hope everyone managed to stay warm. Some even braved the weather to rally in the capitol rotunda as well as visiting me in my office. That polar vortex didn’t stop the courageous souls below from paying me a visit! I am humbled.

In the Senate

Financial lifeline for furloughed workers

A press conference last week focused on legislation to provide financial relief for thousands of Minnesotans forced to live without paychecks due to the government shutdown. The introduced legislation would provide short term, no-interest loans for affected workers.

Under the terms of the bill, banks and other financial institutions can apply to the commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to issue the zero-interest loans, and Minnesota would guarantee the loans. The loans would be worth up to $5,000 and the program would cease to issue loans the day after the federal shutdown ends. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 2, 2019”

 

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

As week three of the 2019 legislative session comes to a close, there have been a lot of new bills introduced from the rising costs of insulin to paid family leave for all Minnesotans to enhancing the teacher student relationships of those who need it most. As we look onto the beginning of week Four we are met with a Minnesota Snow Storm and below zero weather.  I hope you and your family have a safe week. Stay Warm.

2019 Legislature starts hearing bills while a number of press conferences highlight legislation

State offices were closed and committees did not meet so legislators were able to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday on January 21. The week started off with a number of press conferences, including one on paid family and medical leave, reducing the cost of insulin, the opioid epidemic, and gun violence reduction.

Committee work kicked into full gear with the hands-free cellphone bills heard in the Senate and House, an update from the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Prevention working group, Driver Assist Technology in commercial trucks, and stricter penalties for sexual assault. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: January 28, 2019”

This week, Sen. John Hoffman (SD-36) released the following column on the need for leaders of both parties to work in a bipartisan manner to fix Minnesota’s education system. 

Working together to improve our schools

Minnesota is known for our strong schools and great educational system. As a former school board member and long-time advocate for local schools, I’ve been an effective voice at the Capitol for Champlin, Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids schools. But we can’t sit on our past successes; we can and will do better. 

We can find common ground by passing bipartisan legislation to make our schools safer through security upgrades, provide more funding for mental health support, address our special education deficiencies, look at creative ways to fund early childhood education, provide better paths for students in vocational/career technical training, and address reading proficiency.  Continue reading “Senator John Hoffman’s column on DFL and MNGOP leaders needing to work together to improve Minnesota schools”

WEEK Two: Friday, Jan. 18

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

The second week of the 2019 session kicked off with a legislative press forum with Governor Walz and the four leaders from the Senate and House. There were also a number of press conferences on issues ranging from distracted driving, how the state is dealing with the federal shutdown, and legalizing recreational marijuana use.

The Minnesota Senate committees kicked into gear with a busy week of overviews and a few early bill hearings. Some of the topics under discussion included Health and Human Services fraud prevention investigations, disability waivers, energy storage, education budgets, a farm and agriculture overview, a hearing on disease affecting our deer population, prison sentencing modifications, and an overview on our November budget forecast.

Governor Walz and all four legislative caucuses expressed their commitment to pass some non-controversial bills early in the session, so legislative action is expected to ramp up in the coming weeks. Let’s stay involved and do this together. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: January 18, 2019”

Hello neighbors and friends and welcome to the final weekly session update for the 2018 legislative session.

I hope this finds you preparing for a safe, enjoyable and meaningful Memorial Day weekend with family and friends. I look forward to participating in events this weekend memorializing those men and women who gave their lives for our nation. As we all pause our busy lives, let us also honor those who have served and thank those wearing the uniforms of our military today. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: May 26, 2018”

 

Above: Hanson Boulevard. The rail grade crossing funding for this intersection passed previously.

Sen. Hoffman supports more funding in the 2018 bonding bill

ST. PAUL, Minn – Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) voted against a shortsighted bonding bill that short-changed Minnesotans. The legislation ignored urgently-needed investments in critical infrastructure and public safety in his district and across the state.

In response, Sen. Hoffman released the following statement:

“This bill was woefully inadequate and ignored too many important projects that would create jobs, help working families, students, seniors and veterans. It is extremely important that we take care of our infrastructure to protect Minnesota’s financial stability – this first bonding bill just did not do that.” Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Statement on Bonding Bill Vote”

Hello Neighbors and friends. Welcome to the week 11 newsletter of the 2018 Legislative session. You will read in my newsletter the highlights of the session this past week as well as the picking of a new Regent for the University of Minnesota.  Some good news for our district is my work on the 169 and 101st exchange in Brooklyn Park was included in the Bonding proposal for the Senate. This collaborative effort will help ease traffic and expansion for Brooklyn Park and Champlin.

As Minnesota lawmakers we are expected to put forth big, bold ideas, especially in the form of a bonding bill that covers our infrastructure needs throughout the state.  The current bonding plans within the House and Senate are roughly 825 million while the Governor is asking for 1.5 billion in investments.  Now is the time to invest more as I am concerned if we continue to 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 the current plans need a little boost to get closer to the Governor’s request. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: May 11, 2018”

Hello Neighbors and friends. Welcome to the week 10 newsletter of the 2018 Legislative session.  I hope you had a great weekend and addressed all your to do list activities.  I know I still have a long list to get to and am even late in getting this past weeks newsletter out for you.  We had a busy and active week voting on the Senate Tax plan, discussing clean water, DWI penalties and working on Opioid crisis response. We only have a couple of weeks left to get our work done this session and I am committed to working together to get our work done. Have a great week.

Sincerely,

Senator John Hoffman  Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: May 7, 2018”

Welcome to week nine of the 2018 Minnesota Legislative Session. This week went by fast and was highlighted with a 12.5 hour Senate Floor Session on Thursday where we heard the Supplemental Finance Omnibus Bill.  The Bill had many articles outlying those bills that had made their way through the various committees representing the one large Omnibus Bill. Lots of work went into the development of those articles and I touch base about some of those in this weeks newsletter. The timing is important because the Legislature faces a May 21 constitutional deadline to complete its work, meaning just three short weeks remain to hold public discussion on sweeping proposals that will impact nearly every Minnesotan in one form or another. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 27, 2018”