Dear Neighbors,
The pace at the State Capitol has picked up substantially in this, our fourth week of the session. The first committee deadlines are only a week away, so it’s make or break time for many bills to either advance or be left behind for the year. Committee agendas are packed, with many of them spilling into the evening hours. Here’s an update from the Capitol.
Town Hall Meeting
I’d like to invite everyone in the community to a Town Hall Meeting Sen. John Marty, Rep. Alice Hausman and I are hosting on Saturday, March 24th. We will gather at the Cameroon Community Center, in Bandana Square (1020 Bandana Blvd W., Saint Paul), from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Each of us will give a brief update on the legislative session from our perspective, but the bulk of the time will be dedicated to listening to your questions and feedback. The meeting is free to attend and everyone is welcome. We all greatly value your engagement in our legislative process. I hope you can attend.
Gov. Dayton’s Final State of the State
Last night Governor Mark Dayton delivered his eighth and final State of the State Address last night in the House Chamber. I had the honor to be joined by constituent Ross Mau, a teacher at Washington Technology Magnet School.
In 2011, Governor Dayton faced a $6 billion deficit, high unemployment and millions of dollars owed to our schools that had been borrowed to balance the state budget. Thanks to his leadership and shared commitment to the things we value, we’ve truly built a better Minnesota. Our budget situation is now stable, we’ve made historic investments in education at all levels, and our unemployment rate is as low as it’s been in 17 years.
We have more to do, however. Quality health care still remains out of reach for many, so we need to create more affordable options. Much of our clean water infrastructure is obsolete and on the verge of failure, so we must invest in necessary upgrades to protect clean water for future generations. The Trump tax bill has left us a challenge at the state level, and we will need to figure out if we're going to conform, and at what level.
I’m honored to work alongside a governor with such genuine leadership, and am excited to continue the work to make Minnesota a state that works for all of us.
Fixing Fines and Fees
This session I’m co-authoring legislation to reform Minnesota’s fines and fees for traffic, parking, and similar violations. Fees and surcharges can often bring the cost of a basic traffic ticket north of $100, presenting a hardship for many families. An unpaid ticket can lead to late fees and collection charges, eventually snowballing into driver’s license suspensions. This onerous system can then lead to other significant consequences like loss of employment and mounting debt. This puts downward pressure on our low-income neighbors, not to mention presents an unnecessary clog on our court system.
I chatted with KSTP Channel 5 about the proposal. Sending Minnesotans into perpetual debt and taking away their ability to get to work or drive their kids to school due to traffic tickets simply isn’t justice. When the circumstances call for it, judges should better be able to give honest people a break. These bills passed the Public Safety Committee this week and I’m hopeful they can make their way to the House Floor this session.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and ideas this session. It’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
John Lesch
State Representative