Friends,
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Senate District 57 Legislative Listening Session last Saturday. It was a great event and I am truly inspired when I see how interested and involved our community is in public policy issues. You can watch my opening remarks from the listening session here.
Ribbon-Cutting at Minnesota Energy Resources
Today, I was honored to participate in the ribbon-cutting for the expansion of Minnesota Energy Resources in Rosemount. Minnesota Energy Resources delivers natural gas to hundreds of thousands of Minnesota consumers and their expansion in Rosemount is welcome news for our community!
Rep. Wills at the Minnesota Energy Resources in Rosemount for their ribbon-cutting ceremony
Tours in District
Today, February 23rd, I was able to tour two great community resources to see what they do and how they are able to make our community a better place to live.
Rep. Wills touring Lifeworks that serves those with disabilities in our community.
Rep. Wills visited Community of Hope Preschool in Rosemount and spoke
with the students about her role as a legislator.
Addressing Sexual Harassment at the Capitol
As mentioned in a previous update, in the wake of some sexual harassment issues that came to light over the last several months, we have created a new subcommittee to deal with these issues. The Subcommittee on Workplace Safety and Respect will be chaired by Majority Leader Joyce Peppin and comprised of members of both parties. This is a welcomed development and I am glad we are taking the issue of workplace safety seriously.
The Subcommittee on Workplace Safety and Respect will have their first meeting on Monday, February 26, at 9:00 AM in Capitol Room 120.
On Wednesday, February 21st, every member of the House took part in an all-day mandatory sexual harassment training. The training was conducted by professionals who travel the country, giving similar training to Fortune 100 Companies. I believe this is a strong step forward and will help make the Capitol a place where everyone feels safe to come to work.
First Week of the 2018 Session
One of the biggest issues we need to tackle this session is dealing with conforming Minnesota's tax code to the new federal changes in a way that will hold Minnesota taxpayers harmless. The Taxes Committee, of which I am a member, has already held two hearings as we look to find a solution that will work for everyone. Video of the hearings are available here and here. The MN Department of Revenue's PowerPoint presentation is available here and the testimony to go along with that is here.
On Thursday, February 22nd, legislation passed both the House and Senate to restore the vetoed funding for the legislature, per Governor Dayton's request. We also debated ratifying public employee contracts, but the author of the bill chose to table the bill to be voted on at a later time.
Minnesotans Shine at Olympics
Congrats to the US Women's Hockey Team for winning Gold! Numerous Minnesotans helped lead the way to victory. If you've been watching the Olympics, you've also seen many Minnesotans from the curling teams to the ski slopes representing our state extremely well.
For more on Minnesotans dominating at the Olympics, read this New York Times story: Team U.S.A.? More Like Team Minnesota.
Constituents Visit the Capitol
Students from District 196's School of Environmental Studies came to visit
Rep. Wills at the Capitol this week to discuss various issues important to them.
Rep. Wills met with constituent, Shane, to discuss construction and home insurance reform.
Interview with House Information
In January, I sat down with the nonpartisan House Information Services to talk about my experience at the legislature as a working mom of three. It was a fun interview! Click here to watch.
Keep in Touch
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with your comments, questions, and concerns. Email me anytime at rep.anna.wills@house.mn or call 651-296-4306. Stay up to date with what I am up to at the legislature and around our community by following my updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/repannawills.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Anna Wills
State Representative, District 57B