Dear neighbor,
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Inside this edition of the Peppin Report:
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Women in Leadership Panel
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Trip to Brainerd
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Driver's Licenses for Illegal Immigrants
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Constituent Visits
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2015 Legislative Survey
1) Women in Leadership Panel
I had the privilege to be part of a panel discussion titled “Women in Leadership” at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School on Tuesday, March 10 with Rep. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul), Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake), and Senate President Sandy Pappas (DFL-St. Paul). Former House Speaker Steve Sviggum, a former colleague of mine, moderated the discussion. MPR covered the event.
2) Trip to Brainerd
On Friday, March 13 I had the opportunity to visit Brainerd with Rep. Josh Heintzeman (R-Nisswa) to get a direct look at healthcare services provided in the area.
Our first stop was at a group home that receives services from REM Central Lakes, a home and community-based care provider. We discussed the challenges that group homes face with staff retention.
Our next stop was at Essentia Health/ St. Joseph's Medical Center, a 162-bed nonprofit community hospital. We met with hospital officials who expressed concern with a proposal to impose a mandated nurse-to-patient quota in every Minnesota hospital. I share their concerns. Legislators and bureaucrats in St. Paul should not be making one-size-fits-all staffing decisions for local hospitals throughout Minnesota. We should allow those who are most familiar with the patient – such as doctors and nurses – to determine the appropriate amount of care.
The Brainerd Dispatch and Lakeland Public Television covered the meeting.
3) Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants
A bill has been proposed at the legislature that would allow individuals who have come to the United States illegally to obtain a Minnesota's driver's license. I believe this idea is problematic for several reasons:
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We want to encourage legal immigration – not illegal immigration. Granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants sends a message that Minnesota supports illegal immigration and that Minnesota does not acknowledge federal immigration law.
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Proponents of this idea suggest that granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants would be wise so they can get to their jobs. However, granting driver's licenses for that purpose essentially condones unlawful hiring practices.
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In California, the Department of Motor Vehicles has to set up special offices – as well as hire and train staff – to accommodate the request from illegal immigrants for licenses since they have specialized licenses. This is another cost taxpayers would have to fund with their hard-earned dollars.
For these reasons, I am opposed to changing the eligibility standards for driver's licenses for those who have come here illegally.
4) Constituent Visits
Thank you to the constituents from Mental Health Day at the Capitol, the building trades union group, AARM, and MOHR who visited my office last week.
5) 2015 Legislative Survey
Please take a moment to fill out my 2015 Legislative Survey if you have not already done so. I’m eager to get your input on issues before the legislature this session. You can take the survey by going to my House webpage and clicking the “2015 Legislative Survey” link on the right-hand side of the screen.
If you would prefer to fill out the survey by hand, please contact my office and a survey will be mailed to your home.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me as the legislative session moves forward. My direct line is 651-296-7806. My email address is rep.joyce.peppin@house.mn and my mailing address is Room 459 State Office Building, 100 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55155
Have a wonderful week,
Joyce
**Encourage your neighbors and friends to sign up for my email updates at www.house.mn/34A