Accessibility menu
State Representative Tina Liebling
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0573
For more information contact: Melissa Parker 651-296-8873
Press/News Releases
REP. LIEBLING JOINS FELLOW FRESHMEN IN SETTING COMMON SENSE AGENDA Group kicks off accountability portion of the agenda with bill eliminating per diem during special sessions
While learning the ropes at the State Capitol during her first month in office, State Rep. Tina Liebling, of Rochester, has discovered that she shares more than just the "freshman" label with other members of the Legislative Class of 2004. She has discovered that her fellow freshman also share a common responsibility to get the Legislature working again and a basic agenda based on "ABCs" of good government – Accountability, Balance and Common Sense.
"All of us in the legislative class of 2004 seem to share a belief that we must work for positive change at the Minnesota Legislature," Liebling said. "Each of us was elected because our constituents wanted a few basic rules followed in the legislature: quit the political posturing, try to work together, and get things done for the common good. Clearly, we must try to improve the culture at the Capitol."
These shared core beliefs have led Liebling to join with other freshman legislators to collaborate on key policy initiatives to advance their ABCs agenda. The group has kicked off the accountability portion of their agenda by introducing a bill to eliminate per diem payments to legislators during any special session. "Per diem" is a daily stipend intended to cover the meals and out-of-pocket costs of serving in St. Paul. The Per Diem Bill is the first in a series of initiatives the freshmen plan to introduce.
"The last thing any of us wants is a special session," Liebling said. "Most people in my district don't get paid when they don't get their job done. Legislators shouldn't either. We hope that this law would be an extra incentive for legislators to get our work done on time, as Minnesotan's have a right to expect."
"To be faithful to our constituents, we are working together on select policy initiatives. While we won't always agree on legislative issues, we can have more impact by collaborating when we can. The per diem issue is a good start because it fits in with our group's accountability agenda," Liebling said.
Liebling pointed out that the theme for the group is based on their core agenda. "'A' stands for Accountability," she said, "accountability for our decisions and actions as legislators. 'B' stands for Balance in the way we deal with issues. 'C' stands for Common Sense. That includes focusing on long-range solutions, not short-term fixes."
Liebling said the group hopes to bring fresh approaches and new ideas to a legislature that has gotten bogged down in excessive partisanship over the past few years.
"We understand that Minnesotans want a new approach focused on what's really important," she said. "We know we don't have all the answers, but by working together we hope to have meaningful impact on policy and on the legislative process."
News Items
- Rep. Tina Liebling Named Chair of House Health and Human Services Policy Committee - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Statement on DEED Bonding Project Announcement - (Posted: 2012-09-13 00:00:00)
- Local Legislators to Hold Town Hall Meeting - (Posted: 2012-07-19 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.