Tag: Sen. Hoffman

Hello Neighbors and friends welcome to week 5 of the 2018 session.  This has been another week full of committee hearings as well as you, my neighbors and friends,  coming to our Capitol to bring issues important to our attention. As always, I enjoy getting visits from you and even if you don’t have an appointment you can easily have me pulled from the Senate floor or from committee to talk with you. Simply let my Assistant Chris Vaaler know by contacting him or coming to my office at the Minnesota Senate Building.  95 University Avenue Suite 2231.  651-296-4154

Under Minnesota law, “the Legislature shall establish by concurrent resolution deadlines for each regular session.” Deadlines help the Legislature narrow down the hundreds of bills introduced by lawmakers to proposals that have the best chance of becoming law. The first deadline passed on Thursday, March 22, which was the final opportunity for committees to act favorably on bills in their house of origin. The remaining deadlines are Thursday, March 29 and Friday, April 20.  Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 23, 2018”

Hello neighbors and friends welcome to week four of the 2018 legislature. Another busy week filled with visitors, hearings and our own Governor Mark Dayton delivering his eighth and final State of the State address. Monday started with a visit from Anoka Hennepin Adventures plus students from Oxbow Creek, Lincoln, Monroe and Dayton elementary schools.  I had the privilege of constituent Liz Johnston shadow me for the day and was able to sit in hearings, meetings and view the Senate floor session. She is currently getting another degree in public policy and took time away to see first hand how the legislature works. She and her husband have done organizing for AFSCME addressing Union Members rights. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 16, 2018”

Hello neighbors and friends. Welcome to week 3 of the 2018 session.  The start of this month has been moving fast, it seems, with the first set of deadlines for bills coming up in two weeks. In between dealing with the lack of care from our wonderful HMO’s and CVS providers taking their sweet time in approving prior authorization I am sharing with you activities of the week. Meanwhile medical coordination or lack thereof is set for another discussion as well as the fact we should ask the question, “why have prior authorization if you are going to take 3 to 5 more days to approve it?”  Interesting dilemma these wealthy HMO’s and Insurance providers throw at us as we play by the rules they set up then just dismiss us when we ask for action.  If you or anyone you know experience the same problems please do not hesitate to contact my office directly as I am currently drafting legislation to hold these groups accountable to what they say they are supposed to do.  I will also spend the next two years calling for their accountability and transparency to the process.

Dozens of groups held their Day at the Capitol event this past week as visitors flocked to the rotunda to snap a picture with a live bald eagle, and more than 1,000 high school students marched from Central High in Saint Paul to the Capitol to demand that lawmakers do something to prevent school shootings.  All in all it was a busy week with individuals exercising their rights to be heard and push for action in true fashion of exercising rights of a democracy.  Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 9, 2018”

Hello friends and constituents and welcome to week two of the 2018 session. I enjoyed the company of many constituents visiting our Capitol and talking with me about matters important to all of us. I enjoyed talking with students from Anoka Hennepin Tech High School on the Senate floor and showing them the renovation of the Capitol including the once sealed up former Supreme Court Dining room.

This past Wednesday, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released a new forecast that projects a $329 million budget surplus for the current biennium. I want to remind you that less than 10 years ago, Minnesota faced a $6 billion budget deficit including one that I had to face my freshman year. As you recall the previous legislation shifted funds that should have gone directly to our school districts forcing them to borrow the money to provide education. I believed then and now that forcing districts to borrow money that we, the tax payer, pay and promised to our students is wrong.  We should never hold our students hostage to Governments inability to balance a budget in a real manner. However, the remarkable fiscal turnaround for our State was and is due in large part to a prudent decision made by Governor Dayton and DFL lawmakers to raise income taxes by 2% on the richest 2% of Minnesotans in 2013 indicating a more fair way of percentage of taxes paid. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 2, 2018”

Hello Neighbors and friends.  Welcome to my first official newsletter of the biennium.

As you know, the second year of a biennium is historically reserved for a significant bonding bill and a supplemental budget. However, there is a small chance, given a positive February forecast, that we could have a supplemental spending budget this year as well.  If that is the case, then I would hope we would focus our efforts on the issues important to our district and the state such as assuring safety and supports to our elderly population as well as fixing the care coordination for people with disabilities. Too many times I am hearing from individuals, including my own family, that our managed health care programs are not providing the necessary patient supports that lead to positive outcomes from Hospital discharge.  Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: February 23, 2018”

Welcome to 2018.  I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season connecting with family and friends and are following through on your new years resolutions. As we start the new year I want to continue to keep you posted on what is happening in St. Paul that affects our Senate District and State.  I also want to keep you posted and in the loop as to what is happening in our Senate District.  I have had and will be having constituent meetings regarding three areas of interest; Education, Health and Human Services, Energy/Public Utilities.  These advisory meetings were talked about in the last news letter and those that have shown an interest in them have been followed up with emails and invites.  If you want to be a part of these quarterly meetings, please contact my office and let us know at jhoffman@senate.mn As part of my committee assignments I am involved in two continuing discussions; 1. Long Term Care and 2., Home Care working group that looks at the workforce shortage of nurses in Minnesota. This affects the healthcare that our elderly, people with disabilities and vulnerable populations receive. I invite your input and direction as to getting to the solutions that benefit our neighbors who are affected in those areas. I also hope you take the survey at the bottom of this newsletter as I am asking for your input on important issue areas that the Senate will be tackling in the coming session. Thank you again for letting me be your Senator and happy new year!

Sincerely,

Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: January 12, 2018”

Dear Friends,

As the Christmas holiday quickly approaches, I’m reminded of this quote from Mary Ellen Chase – an important American literary scholar and graduate from the University of Minnesota: “Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. ”

It is my hope that all of you can spend Christmas with your loved ones, and that your home is filled with good food, laughter and love. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: December 23, 2017”

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Hello Neighbors and friends.  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and are getting ready for the winter season to begin. My thoughts are with you and your families as we enter into the New Year.  I hope you enjoy time with your family and friends. I want to share with you some features this month such as the upcoming MN budget forecast, Crescent Cove’s opening, highway 169 construction, providing shelter for veterans in Anoka, the healthcare reform committee meeting on MN-choices and childcare, and the Anoka Hennepin School Bonding Levy passing.  Also, I will be having three community advisory meetings in January preparing for the upcoming session highlighting: 1. Education, 2. Health and Human Services and 3. Energy.  Please contact my office at jhoffman@senate.mn and let me know if you would like to attend.  I will be following up with the dates once we secure them.  Thank you for letting me serve you and our great state.

Sincerely,

Senator John Hoffman Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: December 1, 2017”