Tag: Senate District 36

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”

Welcome to week 8 of the 2018 Minnesota Session. This was another deadline week with finance bills getting marked up and voted on to move eventually into an omnibus bill to be presented to the floor. We did vote on 5 bills this week in the Senate and moved those on to conference committees to be worked out and sent to the Governor:  A bill for an act relating to transportation; designating a section of U.S. Highway 12 as Officer Bill Mathews Memorial Highway, A bill for an act relating to business organizations; regulating business corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies; providing for conversions and domestication, A bill for an act relating to public safety; establishing a crime for misrepresenting an animal as a service animal, A bill for an act relating to public safety; modifying motorcycle operating requirements for individuals possessing a two-wheeled vehicle instruction permit, A bill for an act relating to bio diesel; allowing the minimum bio diesel content level for diesel fuel to be modified during certain times of the year; extending Number 1 diesel exemption. Finally, A bill for an act relating to commerce; modifying licensing requirements for mortgage loan originators. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 20, 2018”

Welcome to week seven of the 2018 legislative session. After the spring break we got right back to business with two floor sessions and a return to our normal hearing schedule. In education we started with hearings on the Governor’s Appointments to the newly formed licensing board for teachers. This conversation will continue through next week finally having the individuals getting final confirmation on the floor of the Senate. The timeline for rule making for the new board are tight however, in listening to the individuals picked by Governor Dayton, the talent is there to do great work on behalf of all of our students in Minnesota. In this week’s update I shared information about the Opiod crisis, snaring, bonding and visits from constituents.

Getting back from break also gets us to the final few weeks of session. In preparation I am reminded how the legislative session last year ended in chaos – a result of the Republican majority’s decision to pursue shadowy last-minute backroom deals instead of conducting their work in a manner that is transparent, accountable, and consistent with Minnesotans expectations of their state government. Last year I pointed out the conference committee report from Human Services that was presented to the Senate floor was 2.5 inches thick and gave us less then 2 hours to review it. Not okay.  I am sad to report that the majority this year appears to be comfortable with repeating an approach that shut average Minnesotans out of the conversation. I am embedded with the purpose of assuring that we look at policy in a bi partisan manner and remind those I work with daily to do what is right for All Minnesotans. Please keep that reminder coming not only to me but to all who you entrust with public service. Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 13, 2018”

Hello friends and neighbors and welcome to week Seven of the 2018 Legislative session.  Although this is considered a break for the Easter and Passover Holidays there was a lot of activity in the areas I have Senate interest in. My newsletter this week is focusing on three particular items of concern and interest that I believe should be shared with the larger population and brought back into the conversation about what we are going to do next?

The first report I want to share with you is about Medicaid programs in Minnesota.  It has been over 50 years since the Medicaid program became law.  We know, as in a previous newsletter, 68% of all Federal dollars to Minnesota is for Medicaid and of that 70% is for Elderly and People with Disabilities. It is, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the cornerstone of our state’s health and long term care coverage systems.  Minnesota leads the nations in health care innovations and created Minnesota Care creating affordable coverage for approximately 89,000 individuals eligible for Medicaid.  Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: April 5, 2018”

 

Welcome to week 6 of the 2018 session. This is the midpoint mark and it was a busy week getting bills heard for the second deadline. We finished yesterday at 8:00 p.m finalizing the Education E-12 Policy Omnibus bill. It is now ready to be sent to the Senate floor while we wait for the House Omnibus bill to also be voted on and together sent to conference committee. We started off the week, in response to the historic March for Our Lives, as DFL senators joined high school students and Minnesotans of diverse backgrounds to announce the Senate’s first comprehensive plan to address the epidemic of gun violence in our society. The new plan focuses on three categories: Schools, Research, and Gun Safety.

We also had a vote in the Senate chamber this week unanimously approving new contracts for our outstanding state employees. The House also passed the bill with near unanimous support, and Governor Dayton has already signed it into law. As a result, more than 30,000 Minnesotans will receive a much needed adjustment to their income. The Senate also unanimously passed important legislation to begin addressing the state’s endangered pension fund. Both of these bills came together with Bi Partisan work and support.   Continue reading “Sen. John Hoffman (SD36) Update: March 30, 2018”

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”