Friends,
I hope you had a great Easter weekend with your loved ones. I certainly enjoyed my time with friends and family before getting back to the Capitol this week to continue fighting for you in St. Paul. Below you can read about conference committees, my fight to lower college costs, and Governor Dayton dropping his demand that a gas tax be included in any transportation bill. Plus you can listen to a podcast where I talk about one of my passions: making sure every child receives a great education. Have a great weekend!
Higher Education Conference Committee
On Tuesday I was named to the Conference Committee for the Higher Education bill. House and Senate conferees will work in the coming days to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the Higher Education Bill. My hope is that Governor Dayton’s administration will engage during conference committee process to ensure an open and transparent process.
You can learn more about the conference committee process here.
Student Fees Fight
Recently, the Star Tribune highlighted one of my bills that is part of the Higher Education Omnibus bill. It will make student fees optional. Students having to work extra jobs to pinch pennies and work their way through college don’t necessarily have time to participate in these student groups and are having to work extra hours or take out more in student loans to be able to afford these student fees. This is not a silver bullet to lower the costs of college but it is a step in the right direction.
Dayton Drops Demand for Gas Tax
This week Governor Dayton on with WCCO Radio stated that he no longer will demand a gas tax increase be a part of the transportation finance plan. This is great news as the last thing Minnesotans need is extra taxes that will hit lower and middle income Minnesotans the hardest. There is plenty of existing revenue to fund our roads and bridges needs.
Talking Education on Up & At Em
This week I had the opportunity to talk about being a young legislator in St. Paul and the importance of education with Jack Tomczak and Ben Kruse. It was a great time. Take a listen here.
As always, please continue to stay in touch to share your thoughts and ideas on the bills heard in committee and in session. You can schedule a time to meet with me in my office any time by calling my office at (651) 296-9463, or share your thoughts via email by emailing me at rep.drew.christensen@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Drew