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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Dennis Smith (R)

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Legislative Update (Jan. 9, 2015)

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Friends and Neighbors,

It is an honor to have the trust of our community to serve as your State Representative. I was sworn in on Tuesday, and the 2015 Legislative Session is officially underway. I am excited for the opportunity to represent you and your voice.

I’m committed to implementing policies that better your lives and those around you. As a member of the Republican majority, we have five major priorities:

Focus on Job Creation. We will be introducing several bills to reduce and ease regulations, streamline permitting, reduce the tax burden on all Minnesotans and drive innovation by focusing on how we can better encourage Minnesotans to pursue manufacturing and technical jobs, a highly-paid, growing sector.

Fix MNsure. We must increase transparency and accountability in order to ensure that we maintain our reputation for having a first-tier health care system that Minnesotans have grown to appreciate.

Reform our Public Schools. It is imperative that we give our children and grandchildren a world-class education. This begins with ensuring that our most effective teachers stay in the classroom, and empowering our local school districts to make the decisions that are right for them and their schools, teachers, and students.

Prioritize Transportation. We must prioritize funding and construction of the most cost-effective forms of transportation: roads, bridges and bus transportation.

Care for our Seniors. We have a commitment to the most vulnerable among us. We need to stabilize funding for nursing homes, encourage more individuals to enter the long-term care workforce, reform regulations and make long-term care more affordable.

I’m looking forward to serving on the Capital Investment, Commerce and Regulatory Reform, Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance, and Civil Law and Data Practices committees, where I have been appointed to serve as Vice Chair.

I treasure the opportunity to represent you and your family. If you visit the Capitol, please schedule an appointment to visit me in my office by calling (651) 296-5502, and feel free to email me at Rep.Dennis.Smith@house.mn. I am looking forward to meeting with you to discuss your thoughts on any legislation that is introduced this session.

Thank you,

Dennis