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

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News from Representative Wills 09-09-2013

Monday, September 9, 2013

Dear Friends,

Today the legislature voted to provide $4.5 million dollars in disaster relief funding for 18 counties across the state of Minnesota during a one-day special session. It was great to see my colleagues and for all of us to come together in a bipartisan fashion to support much-needed relief for the areas impacted by the severe storms in June 2013 that caused widespread damage across Minnesota.

The House voted 127-1, with all Republicans voting in support of the measure. The Senate passed the bill unanimously 59-0. The Governor is expected to sign the bill in the coming days. While I was disappointed that we missed an opportunity to fix the tax mistakes impacting Minnesota businesses and families, I look forward to making that a priority when the legislature reconvenes in 2014.

Here are some additional updates from the past couple of weeks:

Meeting with District 196 Officials

I recently met with District 196 Superintendent Jane Berenz and District 196 Finance Director Jeff Solomon regarding the proposed school levy coming up this fall. It was helpful to hear information about how they would handle district finances if the levy were to pass or fail this fall.

The levy will be on the ballot for voters this November 5th, 2013. If you would like more information on the levy, please visit www.District196.org/Levy2013. And if you have specific questions, Jane and Jeff are happy to discuss them with you. Here is their contact information:

Superintendent Jane Berenz: 651-423-7749 Jane.Berenz@district196.org

Finance Director Jeff Solomon: 651-423-7713 Jeff.Solomon@district196.org

Inver Hills & DCTC Visit

I also recently met with Tim Wynes, President of Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College, to discuss our area's community colleges, the programs they provide, and the impact they have on our community.

Here are just some of the highlights of what I learned during my visit:

Inver Hills serves more than 9,800 for-credit, and 4,000 continuing education or non-credit students, annually, and offers two-year degrees, as well as career training certificates in more than 50 areas.  It's estimated that Invest Hills generates about $250 million dollars in economic impact annually in the Metro Area.

Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) is working with our local high schools to get more women involved in math/science areas, and their credits transfer anywhere, allowing students more choices for higher education. They've also worked to keep tuition low, and work to ensure students move quickly through their chosen program and graduate on time in order to save money.

For more information, please visit their websites at http://www.inverhills.edu/ or http://www.dctc.edu/.

Troop 295 Commissioning

Last Friday, September 6th, I had the opportunity to attend the Commissioning Ceremony for the new Boy Scout Troop 295 in Rosemount. The scouts from two local Packs are uniting to create this new Troop as the boys have become old enough to transition into Troop status. I had a great time visiting the scouts and their parents and I'm so proud of all the hard work they have put into making this new Troop possible.  Here's a picture from the event:

Condolences

I wanted to express my condolences to former Rep. Ken Wolf, whose wife Mary passed away on August 30th. Rep. Wolf served in the legislature from 1993-2002 and represented parts of Dakota County. You can read Mary Wolf's obituary here. Please keep the Wolf family in your thoughts and prayers.

BOOYA Event at Apple Valley Fire Station

This Saturday, September 14th, the Apple Valley Fire Station will hold their 35th Annual Apple Valley Firefighter's Relief Association BOOYA event. This event brings residents to the Apple Valley #1 Fire Station for food, fun, games, and an opportunity to win prizes with the purchase of a raffle ticket. To support this great cause, please consider attending at 10AM on Saturday. The Fire Department is located at 15000 Hayes Road Apple Valley, MN 55124.

Have a great rest of your week,

Anna Wills