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

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News from Representative Wills 12-20-2013

Friday, December 20, 2013
Dear Friends,
 
Christmas is nearly here! I hope you're enjoying the Holiday season and have been able to enjoy the recent winter weather. This will be the last email message of 2013 -- it's truly been a memorable year, and I'm so grateful to have had the honor of representing our community at the legislature for the past year.
 
Latest News/Announcements:
 
MNsure
Just this morning, MNsure announced they would delay the December 23rd deadline to sign up for insurance effective January 1st. If you create an account and select a plan and make your first payment by January 10th, you will be retroactively covered starting January 1st.
 
This is good news for the thousands of Minnesotans who have been struggling with technical problems on the website and long wait times on the MNsure help line. If you've been struggling with the website, I would like to hear from you. Please contact my office either by email at rep.anna.wills@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-4306.
 
Free MN Zoo Admission for Military Members
Just a reminder, all December long, all active, retired, and civilian members of the military will receive free admission and parking to the Minnesota Zoo. Family members will receive discounted admission. Learn more by visiting the Zoo's website at http://bit.ly/1iZ2591.
 
High School Page Program
Do you know a high schooler who is interested in politics or the legislative process? For more than 35 years, the Minnesota House has worked with the High School Page program to provide opportunities to students to have an up-close-and-personal view of the legislature.
 
If you know of a student who may be interested in this amazing opportunity, please contact my office at 651-296-4306 or rep.anna.wills@house.mn, and I will be happy to send along more information on how you can sign up and apply. You can also visit the page program website by clicking here.
 
Recent Events:
 
Minimum Wage Forum
Earlier this morning I attended an event on minimum wage sponsored by the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce. It was an opportunity for an open discussion on an issue expected to come up next session. With the current Minnesota minimum wage at $6.15, the House is proposing $9.50 (which is supported by Governor Dayton) and the Senate is proposing $7.75.
 
Representative Ryan Winkler, the author of the House bill, made it clear that the question now is not whether or not Minnesota will raise the state's minimum wage, the question is by how much and whether or not it will be raised with annual indexing for inflation. It was an interesting dialogue, and an issue that's sure to be the subject of much debate and discussion next session.
 
 
I want to hear from you: do you think we should raise the minimum wage? If so, by how much? Should we raise it to meet the current federal standard of $7.25 per hour? If you are an employer, how would a minimum wage change affect your business? I'm interested to hear your thoughts and input.
 
For more information on the minimum wage forum, and to see a calendar of future legislative breakfasts you can attend you can click here.
 
Dakota-Scott Workforce Luncheon
December 13th, I attended the Dakota-Scott Workforce Investment Board Luncheon. The investment board highlighted successes of 2013, and recognized a number of individuals and employers around our community for their efforts to build a better workforce - including interim Dakota County Technical College President, Tim Wynes. See the press release about Tim receiving the Mark McAfee Friend of Workforce Development Award by clicking here. To learn more about the Dakota-Scott Workforce click here.
 
Photo Credit: Dakota-Scott Workforce Investment Board
 

Lebanon Hills Development Plan Meetings

On December 16th, Dakota County hosted a Lebanon Hills Development Plan open house. Dakota County will be hosting another open house January 14th, 5-7 p.m. at the Western Service Center, 14955 Galaxie Ave, Apple Valley, MN 55124. In the meantime, Dakota County is taking public comments for a 60 day period from November 19th to January 18th. 

 

This is your chance to voice your opinion about the proposed $31 million Development Plan for Lebanon Hills Regional Park. To learn more about the County's master plan and to submit your comments, you can click here.

 

As always, thank you for the honor of representing our community at the legislature. My door is always open, and I want to hear from you. If you'd like to schedule a coffee meeting in our community or in St. Paul, please contact my office at rep.anna.wills@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-4306.

 
From my family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a safe and happy New Year.
 
Talk to you in 2014,
Rep. Anna Wills