Friends,
It has been a busy week at the Capitol as we work hard to grow better-paying jobs for all Minnesotans. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you tomorrow at my in-district office hours so that we can discuss our work at the Legislature in-depth.
In the News
Thanks to the Burnsville Sun ThisWeek for visiting my office to discuss my community involvement, my campaign, and my plans for this upcoming legislative session. I hope that this article, which you can read online here, gives you more insight into my work at the Capitol.
Fighting Commissioner Pay Raises
In 2013, the DFL-controlled legislature passed a law allowing the Governor to implement pay raises for his commissioners without legislative oversight. This year, Governor Dayton took full advantage of this egregious law by providing his commissioners with a total of $1.3 million in pay increases over the biennium. For some of his commissioners, this equaled a more than $30,000 increase in pay this year. Your tax dollars, which pay these commissioner salaries, could have been better used to put additional teachers in our classrooms. My colleagues and I are hard at work to try to reverse this disappointing misplacement of priorities.
Regent Candidates
On Tuesday, we heard from University of Minnesota regent candidates in a joint session of the House and Senate Higher Education committees. Regents serve a six-year unpaid term as the governing agents of the University of Minnesota system. It was refreshing to hear their plans to curb rising tuition costs with real solutions, and their plans for the future of our great Minnesota higher education institutions. For the five open districts, we recommended the following individuals:
First District: Randy Simonson and Patricia Simmons
Third District: Paula Prahl and Michael Belzer
Fourth District: Richard Beeson
Sixth District: Michael Tsu
Seventh District: Thomas Anderson
I’m proud to have put such a strong slate before the House and Senate for their consideration. We will hold a Joint Session of the House and Senate later this session to vote on our slate, and select five candidates to fill the open positions.
Tomorrow
Don’t miss my in-district office hours tomorrow, Saturday, February 14th, from 9:00-11:00am at Flavor at the Depot (4800 West 123rd Street, Savage, MN 55375). I’m looking forward to seeing many of you tomorrow morning, and I am excited to hear your thoughts on the issues that concern you and your family and your ideas for the future.
Continue to stay in touch to discuss your thoughts and concerns on legislation introduced this session. If you plan on visiting my office in St. Paul, schedule an appointment to meet with me by calling my office at (651) 296-8891, or email me directly at rep.drew.christensen@house.mn. Make sure that your friends and family stay informed by encouraging them to sign up for my emails here.
Thank you for the opportunity to be your voice in St. Paul.
Rep. Drew Christensen