Greetings from the Floor,
Work is beginning to pick up in the Legislature, and I only anticipate the pace to accelerate. Bills are making their way through committees and I expect we may start to hear bills on the floor next week. The Judiciary Finance and Policy Committee has heard three bills pertaining to consumer protection laws and property rights. The Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee began hearings this week with testimony from budget and finance officials at the University of Minnesota. The chairman of the committee, Rep. Gene Pelowski, has serious concerns about student tuition costs and is focusing the committee’s work this session on the budgets of the state’s institutions of higher education.
Talk around the Capitol continues to revolve around Governor Dayton’s budget. We are beginning to digest his proposals and absorb what they will mean for our state and our districts. Legislators will start putting the committee budgets together after the February budget forecast is released.
By the way, I had the privilege of attending a reception at the governor’s mansion on Tuesday night. Each night this week a group of senators and House members gathered at the mansion to socialize and meet the governor. It was a fun night and allowed some of us who haven’t met to start building relationships that I hope will lead to positive policy for Minnesota.
I have signed onto a handful of bills, largely related to consumer protection and economic development. I started working on bills for the Capital Investment projects for Moorhead and Oakport and our Border City Development Zone appropriation. The dialog regarding these bills and programs has been positive. I plan to get these bills drafted and have their first readings as soon as possible. I was also named to the Asset Preservation and Financial Literacy task force with Rep. Patti Fritz (this is the same “Ladders out of Poverty” task force championed by Rep. Morrie Lanning). It will be an honor to serve in that capacity and carry on the legacy of Rep. Lanning.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve,
Ben