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* 233 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-296-4128
E-mail:
rep.laurie.halverson@house.mn
Legislative Assistant:
Mary Faust 651-296-4321
Committee Assignments:
Commerce and Regulatory Reform
Government Operations and Elections Policy
Health and Human Services Finance
Biographical Information:
Home: Eagan 680 Brockton Curve, 55123; 651-249-9245
Occupation: Homemaker
Education: B.S., political science, College of St. Catherine
Elected: 2012
Term: 2nd
Family: Married, spouse Jason, 1 child
* Prefers interim mail at this address.
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Rep. Laurie Halverson (51B) - Legislative Update
Dear neighbors,
The legislative session is in full swing and we are busy hearing bills in committee. The majorities in the House and Senate have both introduced their priority agendas and Governor Dayton released his budget plan today.
Municipal Legislative Commission
Last week, I met with the Municipal Legislative Commission, a group that advocates for fiscally responsible policies on behalf of suburban communities, including Eagan. They thanked last year’s legislature for improving tax fairness for counties by restructuring the way that suburban roads are funded. This helped Dakota County secure nearly $13 million in road funding that otherwise would have been given to other counties. The Dakota County tax base is a large contributor to transportation funding, and the action of last year’s legislature, led by the Dakota County legislative delegation, provides better balance on the investment and return of our tax dollars. This session, I am continuing to work to improve this funding balance for our communities.
Dakota County Learning Center
I also had the great opportunity to visit the newly opened the Dakota County Learning Center which specializes in early childhood and family education (ECFE) and adult basic education (ABE). We discussed investments made by the legislature last year in early childhood education and early childhood scholarships, which we know help to improve student test scores and achievement. This state-of-the-art facility consolidates former lease space in the district, which provides efficiency and long-term cost savings while better serving the needs of the district.
School Readiness Bill Introduced
I introduced my first bill of the session which is a measure to improve school readiness. The bill provides funding to districts for eligible pre-kindergarten students to improve early education and ensure students have access to a quality start in school. This bill is important because high-quality early childhood education is vital to ensuring that kids are ready to learn when they start Kindergarten. Studies repeatedly show that children who start school with the effective social, emotional and developmental skills are better prepared for success in school. School readiness has tremendous pay-off for the investment in the short-term, as it reduces need for remedial learning and special education resources. It also brings long-term benefits by improving graduation rates. Early learning is also a key component to reducing the achievement gap in our schools.
Transportation Proposals
Transportation funding is a priority this session and both the House and Senate majorities have introduced their proposals. The Senate’s plan would invest $800 million a year in infrastructure and also increase investments in public transit and Southwest light rail. The House GOP proposal includes $750 million in transportation funding over the next four years, using the state’s rainy day fund and future efficiencies to pay for short term fixes. You can read more about the proposals here. Governor Dayton’s plan invests $10 billion over the next 10 years and includes $2.3 billion for local roads and bridges. You can review the Governor’s proposal here.
I am currently reviewing all proposals and am hopeful that we can work out a long term, comprehensive solution to our state’s backlog of transportation infrastructure repair projects and improvements. I am particularly concerned about finding support for local roads. This is significant for Dakota County, as the majority of roads that serve our region are maintained by cities or the county. These are vital corridors for local commerce such as trucking and agriculture, and they are the roads that carry many of us to work our kids to school. For nonpartisan background information on the return on investment for investing in our roads and bridges, I invite you to check out the Itasca project.
As always, feel free contact me with any questions, concerns, or ideas. You can reachme at 651-296-4128
or
rep.laurie.halverson@house.mn. You can also “Like” my legislative page on Facebook. Thank you for the honor of being your voice in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Sincerely,
Laurie Halverson
State Representative
District 51B
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