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State Representative Pam Myhra
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4212
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
HOUSE BRIEFS
Email Update
Dear Friends,
While we wait for the Governor to engage the negotiating process with the legislature, I have remained active in and on behalf of our community since the adjournment of the regular session.
Last Monday, May 30, I attended the Burnsville Memorial Day Service at the Bicentennial Gardens on Nicollet Ave. The event was well attended by many veterans and “Blue Star Moms”. While thanking veterans and military family members, I received strong encouragement, including comments like, “stay the course,” “keep spending down,” and “stand firm.”
On the morning of Tuesday, May 31, I met with constituents to discuss issues of concern to them. I value these meetings, and if you would like to share your ideas or concerns with me, please make an appointment for us to meet by calling my Legislative Assistant, Mitzi, at (651) 296-9895, or by sending her an email at mitzi.ellis@house.mn . I truly value your comments.
One of the topics I discuss frequently with constituents is education, and Tuesday I was privileged to attend the Special School Leadership Forum with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U. S. Senator Al Franken. There was much Secretary Duncan and I agree on: he called for raising standards; telling parents and students the truth (If children are failing, don’t tell them otherwise; it’s “criminal”); and rewarding excellence. All of these are initiatives that will help our schools and students achieve improved outcomes, and I was pleased to hear the Secretary make note of them.
I did, however, disagree with Secretary Duncan on adding more early childhood education. I believe we should not be increasing government programs, but encouraging greater and continued parental involvement. As a side note, I would like to see the longitudinal data on the effectiveness of Head Start, the early childhood program instituted in the ‘60’s to focus on minority children and children in poverty. In looking at the current educational results among those student groups it doesn’t appear there are satisfactory results for the millions invested in the program. Please follow this link to see the most recent Minnesota test scores.
On Wednesday, June 1, I attended the Burnsville City Council Member Candidate Forum at the Burnsville City Hall. There are nine candidates vying to fill Charlie Crichton’s seat on the City Council. The candidates present for the forum were: Donna Alberts, Steven Atkins, Bill Coughlin, Tom Hanson, Bruce Johnson, Shane McCartney, and Greg Tomlinson. The forum will be re-played on local cable. Common themes were the need to keep property taxes down, deal with aging infrastructure, and the financial drain of the Performing Arts Center. Also discussed were improving citizen involvement, promoting tourism, and growing the tax base. The special election is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26, 2011.
Yesterday, Thursday, June 2, I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems, a large expanding Burnsville employer. As our economy continues toward recovery, it is great to see new, high-quality jobs come to our community. It is also added impetus to keep working to reform government and improve Minnesota’s business climate so our families and job creators can compete and succeed in the 21 century economy.
As the week nears its close, I would like to give you a recap on where the budget currently stands. Last month the legislature passed and presented to Governor Dayton a complete and balanced budget that included a 6% increase from current biennium spending using existing revenue growth. The fiscal bills were all vetoed by the governor last week, and the governor has yet to detail his plan. GOP legislative leadership continues to meet with the governor, as they have throughout session to negotiate a budget resolution. I will keep you informed as the process continues.
Finally, please attend a Burnsville Legislators' Town Hall Meeting with myself, Representative Diane Anderson and other area legislators on Wednesday, June 15th from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Burnhaven Dakota County Library (1101 County Road 42 West, Burnsville). We will take your questions and discuss the legislative session. I appreciate hearing from you and hope you can attend this Burnsville Legislators' Town Hall.
Thank you for your continued interest in the work of the Minnesota legislature.
Sincerely,
Pam
News Items
- April 12 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-04-12 00:00:00)
- April 10 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-04-10 00:00:00)
- Join Rep. Pam Myhra for a Day at the Capitol! - (Posted: 2012-03-16 00:00:00)
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