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State Representative Tara Mack
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5506
For more information contact:
EMAIL UPDATE
Budget work continues
Greetings from the Capitol!
Our work to finalize the budget continues as we draw near the end of the 2011 session. Meantime, we passed some policy bills in the House this week and will be back on the floor of the house tomorrow to continue our work.
K-12 EDUCATION POLICY BILL PASSES HOUSE
One bill we passed this week pertains to K-12 education policy (H.F. 1381). Our goals in this bill are to empower parents, improve teaching and learning, and increase student achievement. The most notable component is a literacy plan that would better monitor the progress of student reading to ensure that they stay on track with the appropriate grade level of literacy. This proposal would also take steps towards better communication with parents as to the progress of their child and would require students to repeat third grade if they are not reading at grade level. Language added in the committee process allows parents to have the final say on their child being retained and they may move their child ahead to fourth grade if they deem it appropriate. This bill also provides instructional supports for struggling readers starting in kindergarten.
LIQUOR BILL SPARKS SPIRITED DISCUSSION
The House then passed the omnibus liquor bill, highlighted by the so-called “Surly bill,” sponsored by Rep. Jenifer Loon. This proposal would allow microbreweries in Minnesota to open on-site taprooms where they could hold tasting events and sell their own beer. This bill will help Minnesota craft brewers to grow their businesses and draw tourism in a booming industry of "destination breweries."
Some of the bill’s other provisions would:
? allow bed and breakfasts that are permitted to serve two glasses of wine to be able to also serve 12 ounces of Minnesota beer;
? permit municipalities to issue a temporary liquor license to farm wineries for on-sale at a county fair in that municipality;
? allow private colleges to obtain liquor licenses for special event liquor sales from the municipality where they are located instead of needing legislative approval;
? allow liquor stories to sell clothing with their name on it;
ENVIRONMENT POLICY BILL PASSES HOUSE
We also passed a bill (HF1097) to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and amended it into a much broader omnibus environment policy bill. We wanted to present it to the governor before he left for the fishing opener in Grand Rapids. New recreation policies to slow the spread of zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species would become effective the day following enactment if the bill is signed. There are 19 lakes in the state that are infested with non-native zebra mussels.
As always, feel free to contact me regarding these or other issues by emailing rep.tara.mack@house.mn, or by calling (651) 296-5506.
Have a great weekend,
Tara
News Items
- 2013 survey results - (Posted: May 17 2013 5:08PM)
- Rep. Mack's 2013 survey - (Posted: Apr 22 2013 4:37PM)
- Budget news, health insurance exchange and more - (Posted: Mar 22 2013 12:00AM)
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