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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Anna Wills (R)

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News from Representative Wills 02-15-2013

Friday, February 15, 2013

Dear friends,

Here are some updates from this week at the Capitol:
 

Veterans Hiring Bill

On Monday, February 11th, I had the honor of introducing my first piece of legislation at a press conference at the Capitol. The bill is HF532, which would provide a tax credit for businesses who hire veterans. This bill is a win-win for Minnesota; it helps incentivize job creation for our state's unemployed servicemen and women, and it provides tax relief to businesses.

As of 2011, the unemployment rate for veterans who have served since 2001 was nearly 23%. That number is unacceptable, and we must do better. No piece of legislation can solve the problem entirely, but this is a step in the right direction, and I am immensely proud to have such widespread bipartisan support for this important piece of legislation. I was joined at the press conference by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a number of veterans groups supporting the legislation, and Senator Chuck Wiger (DFL) who will carry the companion bill in the Senate.

I will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of the bill as it makes its way through the committee process, or you can follow the progress yourself by going to this link: http://bit.ly/Z3pdI9. The bill has been referred to the State Government Finance and Veterans Affairs Committee, where it awaits further action.

You can read more about the press conference here, here, and here.

 

ISD 196 School Visits

On Friday, February 15th, I visited Shannon Park Elementary School, Rosemount High School, Rosemount Middle School, and Rosemount Elementary School. We are blessed with outstanding schools in our district, and it was wonderful to meet some of the teachers and school staff that do great work educating our children day in and day out.

Constituent Visits

It was a busy week meeting with a number of groups and constituents in Saint Paul! A few of the highlights:

  • Mrs. Rosemount, Lisa Thomas, stopped by on behalf of the American Heart Association.
  • ISD196 Lunch Ladies Mary, Sue, Gail, and Barb.


     
  • Jolaine Haider and Carita Green stopped by as a part of National School Counseling Week. Here is a note from ISD 196 Superintendent thanking our School Counselors for all of their tireless work in helping our students achieve academic success & plan for graduation and post-graduation. Also, a special congratulations to the ISD 196 students who will be attending the National Forensic League Speech and Debate Tournament!
  • I visited with Andrea Erickson, a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about mental health issues.

As always, if you or a group you're involved in would like to schedule a constituent meeting, please contact my office at rep.anna.wills@house.mn or call 651-296-4306.


Congratulations

Wishing many congratulations to the 11 National Merit Semifinalists selected to compete for scholarships awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Best of luck to these outstanding students! Read more about the semifinalists here.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Anna Wills

State Representative, District 57B