Dear Neighbor,
The first week of March has come to an end and I am excited to update you on some of the important items that have taken place in St. Paul over the past week.
Town Hall Meeting
Senator Branden Petersen and I will be holding a town hall meeting next Saturday, March 14th at 10 am at Anoka City Hall. The event is free of charge and I strongly encourage you to attend and am eager to hear your thoughts on issues being debated at the Capitol as we continue to work on the budget and debate hot-button issues.
Pro Life Bill Receives Hearing
My bill, House File 1047, was heard by the Health and Human Services Reform Committee on Wednesday.
HF 1047, also known as the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, has a number of provisions aimed to protect our youngest and most vulnerable citizens:
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Recognize that any human infant who is born alive despite an attempted abortion will be a fully recognized person and given immediate protection under the law.
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Require medical personnel to preserve the life and health of an infant that is born alive following an attempted abortion.
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Change statute or any ruling to make sure that when the words “person”, “human being”, “child”, or “individual” shall include every infant.
I am happy to report that the bill passed and has been sent to its next committee as it continues its path through the legislative process. Protecting life is one of my top priorities at the legislature and I am honored to be carrying a bill that addresses this important issue.
February Budget Forecast
Late last week, legislators received an update on Minnesota’s budget situation. The Minnesota Management and Budget office’s (MMB) February forecast shows that Minnesota has a $1.869 billion dollar surplus for the 2016-2017 budget.
According to the MMB’s report, a large portion of the surplus is due in part to lower prices at the pump. Relief at the gas pump allows consumers to spend more of their money on non-gasoline purchases, which has helped turn the economy around.
Surprisingly, given that MMB stated one of the main reasons for the improved budget forecast lower prices at the pump, the Governor stuck by his proposal to impose a new gas tax and raise the price of gas on Minnesotans.
I believe that a nearly $1.9 billion dollar budget surplus is more than enough. I do not believe we should another tax, especially at the pump.
My colleagues and I in the House are committed to offering Minnesota families much needed tax relief and investments in things that matter most to them like roads and bridges.
Education Reform Bill Passes House
On Thursday, House File 2 was debated and passed by the Minnesota House. This piece of legislation is an effort to improve student learning by empowering teachers and schools.
Next to parental involvement, effective teaching has the greatest impact on the future academic success of a child. This bill gives local school districts the flexibility needed to attract and retain the best teachers for our students.
HF 2 makes several important changes to education policy including:
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Increases the quality of teaching by focusing on merit in teacher retention policies, and limiting placement of students with ineffective teaching. This empowers school districts and local unions to negotiate a plan for potential teacher layoffs that incorporates teacher evaluations, among other locally determined criteria. Seniority will still factor into staff retention decisions, but will no longer be the only factor.
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Strengthens standards on new teacher licensure to ensure a firm foundation of academic skills.
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Increases access to quality teachers through out-of-state teacher license recognition, encouraging regional licensure reciprocity, streamlining alternative pathways to teaching, and reinstating other licensure options.
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Empowers school districts to tap community experts to fill unmet needs to maintain or expand academic opportunities for students such as shop or carpentry classes.
Minnesota already has great teachers and an outstanding education system. In order to maintain this high level of achievement, we need to empower our schools to make student-focused decisions and offer more flexibility to locally elected officials to recruit and retain the best teachers for our students.
Staying in Touch
Thank you to the group of PACT students who visited my office this week. It was great to meet with you!
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments, or concerns on anything related to state government. It would be an honor to discuss your ideas on how we can make Minnesota better for everyone. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-1729 or via email at rep.abigail.whelan@house.mn. You can also stay up-to-date on everything that is happening in St. Paul by visiting my Facebook page and Twitter account.
Thank you and enjoy your weekend,
Abigail