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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R)

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Legislative Update (April 14, 2014)

Monday, April 14, 2014

Dear Neighbor,

If you’re a parent, a student, a business owner, an employee, or a taxpayer, the legislature just made your life more difficult.

Last Wednesday, the House passed the so-called “Safe and Supportive Schools Act” and sent it to Governor Dayton for his signature. As a mom of four boys — one of whom is disabled — I’ve certainly had my fair share of children coming home distraught after a day of school when other kids have been mean. Unfortunately, this bill completely misses the mark on addressing this issue.

Perhaps the most egregious part of this new law is that no requirement exists for a parent to be notified if a student is accused of bullying or is a victim of bullying. In my opinion, education begins at home. If parents are removed from the process, how can we ever expect real progress toward eliminating bullying?

I also have deep concerns about the curriculum authorized by this law. Much of it is not age appropriate and has the potential to have serious negative consequences on a child’s mental development.

Furthermore, we elect members to our local school boards for a reason – to implement policy in our schools that fits with the community needs and the priorities of parents. Instead empowering our local school boards, this bill usurps their authority. If politicians and bureaucrats in St. Paul think they know better than school board officials, why even have schools boards to begin with?

I’m also disturbed by the recent political gamesmanship and backroom deals that have been going on in St. Paul. Senate Democrats have been pushing hard for a new opulent office building. House Democrats have been working hard toward imposing a dramatic increase in the minimum wage. Recently, Democrats in both chambers came to a deal. On Friday, April 4, House Democrats voted to authorize the construction of an $89,594,175.00 project to build the Senate office building. Shortly thereafter, Senate Democrats voted to send a minimum wage bill to the House. The House passed that bill last Thursday. While Senate Democrats may be ecstatic that they got their new deluxe office building, the ones who truly lost here are the hardworking taxpayers of Minnesota.

One piece of good news coming out of St. Paul last week is that a bipartisan bill I co-authored – legislation that cracks down on the sale and use of synthetic drugs in Minnesota – passed the House unanimously. This proposal is a result of the work of the Select Committee on Controlled Substances and Synthetic Drugs that met while the legislature was out of session and made numerous recommendations aimed at further tackling the synthetic drug problem Minnesota is facing. The trauma endured by those who have fallen victim to synthetic drug abuse – as well as the anguish family members have gone through – is, in many cases, beyond repair. From aggressive and violent psychosis, to grand mal seizures with the inability to drive a car or hold down a job, physical mutilation, lack of ability to care for children, the uncompensated costs to ambulance services and hospitals, my hope is that this legislation gives the state the tools necessary to begin to prevent these tragedies from occurring. This legislation now moves to the Minnesota Senate for a vote.

The legislature is now on break in recognition of Easter and Passover. I wish you and your family a blessed week as we pause to observe the significance of our faith.

As always, I am interested in your feedback. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at Rep.Kathy.Lohmer@House.MN or contact my office at 651-296-4244. You can also send mail to my office address: 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Kathy

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