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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Roz Peterson (R)

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Update from the Capitol

Friday, April 7, 2017

Hello from the Capitol!

This week, I met with constituents who are a part of a social work program at Winona State University: Morgan Ostertag, Hannah Egan, Megan Kallmann, and Zoie Mester.

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I also met with affected parties and staff from Governor Dayton’s office at the Capitol to discuss the Freeway Landfill indemnification.

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It’s been another action-packed week at the Capitol discussing the details of the House budget proposal. I want to share some of the work the House has been doing over the past few days.

Transportation:

Last Friday, the House passed the Transportation Finance Omnibus Bill that invests $6 billion over the next decade, with $2 billion being spent in the next two years alone, without raising the gas tax. The bill is funded through bonds and a re-appropriation of auto-related taxes to be spent exclusively on transportation projects. I believe that it is common sense that tax revenue from auto related taxes go to building and improving our roads and bridges. In a time that the state is experiencing a budget surplus, I don’t believe we should be raising taxes.

Education:

Additionally, the House passed the Education Finance Omnibus Bill, which increases funding for our students and schools by $1.1 billion, including more than $300 million for early learning programs; $22 million for a targeted academic achievement initiative that funds before school, afterschool, and summer programs to help low-income students who are falling behind; and $40 million for enhanced school readiness aid. These new funding levels will help in closing the achievement gap.

Other highlights include:

  • Continuing efforts to strengthen teacher recruitment and retention, especially in areas with teacher shortages
  • Passing sweeping reforms to teacher licensure to help address the teacher workforce shortage
  • Repealing the “last in, first out” (LIFO) default in state statute to allow schools and local bargaining units to negotiate mutually beneficial staff retention decisions that better serve students, teachers and schools
  • Protecting kids by permitting school districts to provide child sexual abuse prevention instruction

Higher Education:

Earlier this week, the House passed the Higher Education Omnibus Bill which prioritizes college affordability through public school tuition freezes and reductions, accountability through student loan debt counseling, and accessibility to students previously unable to attend higher education programming.

Public Safety:

The House also passed the Public Safety Omnibus Bill funding the state’s law enforcement sector and providing Minnesotans with a core function of state government: keeping its citizens safe.

Reforms in the bill include:

  • Allowing the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to replace an outdated predatory offender registry
  • Providing new revenue to address domestic violence prevention and terrorism recruitment
  • Creating stronger penalties and longer supervision for convicted sexual predators
  • Dedicating funds for additional sex trafficking prevention grants
  • Increasing penalties against those who possess and disseminate child pornography
  • Allocating new money to local law enforcement agencies to help them pay for officers’ training costs

These bills will now be further discussed and debated in conference committee with the Senate before they reach the Governor’s desk for his consideration. 

 

If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-5387 or rep.roz.peterson@house.mn.

Sincerely,

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