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State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
First things first
With the beginning of the 2006 legislative session on Wednesday, legislators are once again challenged to get the work of the state done. Senators and Representatives from both parties, as well as the Governor, have been called on by their constituents to put aside partisan politics, focus on what's important and finish on time.
With that in mind, I joined my first-term colleagues in the house this week in calling for the bonding bill to be the first priority of the 2006 session. The bonding bill is good for the state as a whole, and for our district. It addresses the issues that are the most important to every Minnesotan – education, health care, the environment and jobs. With construction season quickly approaching, it is important that we stay focused on getting this legislation passed quickly. I am hopeful that the leaders in the House and Senate, and the Governor, agree that this is our top priority this session and not get sidetracked.
As I discovered last session, however, there can be real challenges to getting things done at the state legislature. Too often, the work here is driven by politics instead of policy. In a perfect world, everyone would come together to pass legislation that responsibly addresses the business of the state, as well as legislation that protects our core Minnesota values of education, health care, jobs and the environment. Differences of opinion on how to get this done are a given; what can be difficult to understand is how political agenda can disrupt this process and lead to stalemate, or worse, bad policy. I made a commitment when I was elected to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle; it is troubling when failure to work together leads to divisiveness among policy makers and disillusionment among voters.
In that spirit of cooperation, I continue to work with legislators from both parties on issues that are important for our district. For the past few months I have been involved in the I-90 caucus, a bipartisan group of southern Minnesota legislators who have joined together to work for the enhancement of the economic growth and vitality of Southern Minnesota. We have reached agreement on a few key issues and will continue to work together over the coming months.
I am certain that the fundamental requirement to moving meaningful legislation forward is building relationships, and I believe that this group will demonstrate how bipartisan cooperation can build stronger regional ties that will benefit all of southern Minnesota. I am hopeful that this same spirit of cooperation and compromise can prevail over the remaining weeks of the 2006 session and we can truly do the work we were sent here to do.
Please continue to contact me with your suggestions and feedback. I can be reached by phone at 1-888-682-3180 or 1-651-296-4193, by mail at 231 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at the above address. If you are interested in receiving my weekly session e-newsletter, please email me at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn and your name will be added to our list. If you would like to stay more closely in touch with what is happening at the legislature, visit my website at http://www.house.mn/27B or the House of Representatives website at www.house.mn.
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
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