Dear Friends,
It was an extremely busy week in Saint Paul. The House passed more than two dozen bills in all, completing a great deal of work before next week's Easter and Passover Break.
Some updates from this week:
Bullying Bill Passed
On Tuesday, the Minnesota House debated and voted on HF 826, known as the Safe and Supportive Schools Act or the Anti-bullying Bill. We can all agree that no child should be bullied and that bullying is wrong, but there are serious concerns with this bill:
1. This bill is an overly prescriptive, unfunded mandate. Every school district already has a Minnesota Department of Education approved anti-bullying policy.
2. The money should stay in the classroom; this could cost up to $32 per student per year in more administration, adding up to approximately $20 million per year to implement.
3. There is no requirement for parent notification - for either the bullied child or the child accused of being a bully - even though an incident report will be filed in the "School Safety Technical Assistance Center" database. The bill also lacks data protection language to protect students' privacy.
I have heard concerns and opposition from many of my constituents, and while I am not opposed to an appropriate and effective anti-bullying policy, this bill is the wrong approach to dealing with bullying and I voted no. The bill passed with bi-partisan opposition. No republicans voted for it and three democrats also voted no. You can watch my floor speech outlining several of these concerns by clicking here or on the image below.
Veterans Hiring Tax Credit Amendment
As I mentioned last week, I offered an amendment to the second tax bill that would have provided a tax credit to businesses for hiring out-of-work veterans. With the veteran unemployment rate at around 12% -- far higher than the state average -- I will continue fighting for solutions to help veterans and put veterans back to work. You can watch my speech on the hiring credit by clicking here or on the image below.
Upcoming Events:
Aging and Wellness Expo
Congressman John Kline is host an Aging and Wellness Expo coming up on Thursday, April 24th from 9AM-Noon at the Rosemount Community Center. This expo will features seminars to help older Minnesotans and their caretakers on topics like identity theft and scamming, Medicare benefits, and more. Caseworkers from various State and Federal programs will be in attendance, as well as the Dakota County Sheriff's office, who will collect unwanted or expired prescription medications for safe disposal.
For more information on the Expo, please click here.
DEED Veterans Job Fair
Mark your calendars -- the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is hosting Minnesota's largest job fair for veterans on Saturday, July 9th in Brooklyn Center. More than 125 of Minnesota's best employers will be on hand for this free events that brings together employers and potential employees.
All former and current members of the US Military are welcome, so please pass this information along to any veterans you know who are out of work or looking for a new job. For more information on this event, please click here.
2014 Legislative Survey
If you have not had a chance to fill out my 2014 legislative survey online, I hope you will take a few moments to fill it out. I'm humbled to go to work each day to be a voice for the communities of Apple Valley, Rosemount, and Coates, and I rely on your feedback and input to help guide my work in St. Paul. Your responses are important to me, and I look forward to reading every one of them.
You can take the survey by clicking here or on the link on my House website at http://www.house.mn/57B.
As always, my door is always open. If you would like to schedule a meeting or share your thoughts on any issue of importance to you, please contact my office at rep.anna.wills@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-4306.
Easter Break
Every year, the legislature takes a week-long break to observe the Easter and Passover holidays. We start our break when we adjourn today, and we will be back to work in St. Paul on Tuesday, April 22nd. I hope you enjoy the beautiful spring weather as you celebrate this wonderful holiday season your family and loved ones.
Have a blessed Easter and Passover holiday!
Sincerely,
Rep. Anna Wills