Dear Neighbor,
A lot has been happening at the Capitol. We’re half way through the legislative session and we’re hearing more bills in committee and on the House Floor. Here is an update on some recent news:
District 1 Annual Community Meeting
On Saturday, March 28th and Monday, March 30th, the District 1 Community Council will be holding their annual open house meetings. There will be plenty of food, fun and information to be had. The theme of this year’s open house is “Elections, how they work and why they matter.” This event, described as a festival celebrating our right to vote, will be full of information, discussions and even a performance by spoken word hip-hop artist Chilli Lor.
What: Annual District 1 Community Meeting
When: Saturday, March 28 from noon to 2 pm and Monday, March 30 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: District 1 Office – 2105 ½ Old Hudson Road in the SunRay Shopping Center
Sign the Rail Safety Petition
In my last update I told you about oil train safety initiatives aimed at preventing a train derailment and explosion in Minnesota. While we’re working on this issues at the state level, a constituent informed me of an additional way you can make your voice heard.
You can sign a petition calling for the Federal Railroad Administration to enforce existing laws to strengthen rail safety here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/enforce-railroad-health?source=c.em.mt&r_by=10890623
Tip Penalty Bill Passes House
On Monday night, the Minnesota House voted to lower wages for working Minnesotans. The Tip Penalty bill, authored by Rep. Pat Garfalo (R-Farmington), would reduce wages for thousands of waiters, waitresses and other tipped employees. At a time when working families are having a hard time getting ahead, we shouldn’t be making it even harder by cutting their wages. I was proud to vote no and will continue to improve wages for working Minnesotans.
Republican Budget Targets Released
Tuesday, the House Republicans released their targets for the next budget cycle. Minnesota has a $1.9 billion budget surplus and their proposed $40 billion budget has $2 billion in tax cuts. It doesn’t invest in the areas I’ve highlighted like E-12 education and helping working families.
The budget also includes over $1 billion in cuts to Health and Human Services (HHS) and the most vulnerable Minnesotans, as well as cutting $20.6 million from Job Growth and Energy Affordability, $20.8 million from Capital Investment, $67.4 million from State Government and $24.5 million from Environment and Natural Resources.
House GOP Transportation Plan Released
In order to create a responsible, sustainable long-range solution that I can support, any comprehensive funding package needs to be equitable across all transportation modes, address transportation needs state-wide, and be supported by a cross section of Minnesotans. Unfortunately, the GOP transportation plan released this week pits Minnesotans against each other for funds and projects.
They syphon billions of dollars from the general fund—the account that pays for essential state services like education, health care, and public safety—and redirect that money to transportation projects. Additionally, they also propose to borrow and shift billions more to fund these projects.
I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues to make sure people can make a living wage, and we have a fair budget with a solid transportation plans. As always, feel free to contact me with your thoughts at (651) 296-4201 or respond to this email.
Sincerely,
Sheldon Johnson