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State Representative Joe Atkins
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4192
For more information contact: Ted Modrich 651-296-5809
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Rep. Atkins $1,393.21 Back Pay Goes Toward Scholarship… Just Like the Previous $25,000
(ST. PAUL) — Prior to the state government shutdown, State Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL – Inver Grove Heights) instructed House payroll to withhold his pay if there was a shutdown. Once the shutdown ended and the pay came, Rep. Atkins opted to apply the $1,393.21 in pay toward the Inver Grove Heights Community Service Scholarship at Simley High School. The scholarship is set to be awarded to a member of the 2012 graduating class at Simley High School in Inver Grove Heights. The scholarship will actually be for $1,500, because Atkins is adding $106.79.
Notably, the scholarship was established long before the furor over legislators’ taking back pay arose.
“With the cuts to higher education and young people already struggling to afford college, putting the money toward a scholarship seemed to make sense," said Rep. Atkins. “This was done not for political gain, but to do right by my constituents and attempt to benefit our community.”
This isn't the first time Rep. Atkins has taken this approach. When Atkins was Mayor of Inver Grove Heights and objected to a pay raise back in 1993, he began and then continued donating the $2500 raise to fund scholarships at Simley High School each year, as well as to fund other local youth programs, for all 10 years he was mayor, for a total of $25,000 in donations.
News Items
- Rep. Atkins, Sen. Lourey Introduce Health Insurance Exchange Legislation - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 3:44PM)
- Rep. Atkins – Statement on Deal to End NHL Lockout - (Posted: Jan 7 2013 2:05PM)
- Rep. Atkins to Hold Minnesota House Hearing on Economic Impact of Hockey Lockout - (Posted: Jan 2 2013 3:20PM)
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