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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Anna Wills (R)

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News from Representative Wills 06-27-2014

Friday, June 27, 2014

Dear Friends,

With the recent storms and flooding that has impacted parts of Minnesota, I hope this email finds you doing well and your basements dry. I wanted to send along some updates from the past couple of weeks, as well as a link to information if you or a friend or relative has been impacted by the storms or flooding last week. 

I posted to Facebook some helpful links and tips, and am happy to help assist in any way I can if there are constituents who have been impacted by flooding and need assistance working with or navigating the Department of Commerce Consumer Response Team website.

Dakota County residents are not currently eligible for disaster relief grants, but I will send along information if that changes.

Here are some updates from this past couple of weeks:

Apple Valley Town Hall
Thanks to everyone who took the time to attend last week’s Town Hall meeting with Rep. Tara Mack in Apple Valley. I appreciated the opportunity to update you on the 2014 session and enjoyed taking questions and hearing other feedback. If you weren't able to make it and would like to send along questions or comments, please email me at rep.anna.wills@house.mn or call my office at 651-296-4306.

Phoenix Group Home Visit
On Monday, June 23rd, I visited the Phoenix group home in Apple Valley, and had the chance to visit with residents and the staff that care for them on a daily basis. We talked about the increased funding for the workers that work in long-term and community-based care facilities, and how that funding will help stabilize and improve the quality of care at homes like the Phoenix Home. We also discussed ongoing challenges that they face and how the legislature can play a part in addressing those challenges. Thank you to the residents and staff for their warm hospitality!

Eastview Visit
On Tuesday, June 24th, I had the opportunity to sit down with Eastview High School Principal, Dr. Randall Peterson. One of my priorities during interim is to continue visiting schools in our community and meet with principals, teachers, staff, and students to learn more about what is and isn’t working, and how we at the legislature can have a positive impact on schools and learning for students. I enjoyed visiting with Dr. Peterson about education legislation passed in 2014, and hearing about his work at Eastview.

Dakota County Post-Session Legislative Event
On Thursday, June 26th, I joined several of my House and Senate colleagues at the Dakota County post-session legislative event, where legislators from both sides updated county officials from Dakota County on work done during the 2014 session, discussed the potential impacts on our community, and talked about the county's priorities for the 2015 session. Transportation was one of the key issues highlighted as a priority for Dakota County, and is an issue that's sure to be addressed next session. It is always helpful to have the different levels of government communicating and partnering together on behalf of our constituents, and Dakota County does an excellent job of facilitating that effort.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Apple Valley Freedom Days
Festivities for the annual Apple Valley Freedom Days kick off tonight and will conclude next Friday, July 4th. This annual event is a great chance to come together as a community and celebrate with friends and neighbors ahead of the 4th of July. For a full list of activities, please visit the Freedom Days website at www.avfreedomdays.com. Thanks to the many volunteers and community sponsors who make this great event possible!

Blood Drives on Monday
The Red Cross will be holding two blood drives on Monday, June 30th. Here are the details:

Monday, June 30th
12:00PM-6:00PM
Hilton Garden Inn
12155 Johnny Cake Ridge Road
Apple Valley, MN

Monday June 30th
2:00PM-7:00PM
Carmike 15 Cinemas, Apple Valley
15630 Cedar Ave
Apple Valley, MN
All donors will receive a coupon for $1.00 off movie admission.

New Laws Take Effect July 1st
Many of the laws passed during the 2014 session will take effect starting July 1st, 2014. Among them, a new law to require smart phones to be equipped with a "kill switch" that is intended to help curb the rising problem of smart phone theft. For a full list of the laws that take effect July 1, please click here.

Veterans Job Fair July 9th
On July 9th, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will host the state's largest career fair for veterans from 10AM-3PM at the Earle Brown Heritage Center located at 6155 Earle Brown Drive in Brooklyn Center. This no-cost event will feature more than 150 employers, HR professionals who can assist with resume and job-search advice, college representatives who can talk about education options, and much more. For more information, please click here.

Have a great weekend,

Anna Wills
State Representative, District 57B