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Legislative Challenges

As we go through life we are presented with a series of “Challenges.”  How we address and overcome these challenges is the true measure of our character.  During my first two years in the legislature, my fellow legislators and I addressed and overcame many challenges to protect YOUR quality of life in District 12 A.

With our state facing a billion dollar budget deficit, the first and major challenge was to balance the budget.  Budget cuts are never painless, but by sticking to the basics, collaborating, cooperating, negotiating, and compromising we were able to make important investments in areas important to you.  Please view my complete 2007 – 2008 Legislative Report by clicking here. 

I have authored or co-authored many pieces of legislation that will benefit our district’s specific needs and the needs of Minnesota’s children, seniors, veterans, and hard-working families.

My job as your representative is not done.  There is still work to be done.  By clicking on the challenges below, you can see specific details on what has been accomplished, what remains to be done and how WE can Move Minnesota forWARD. 

Second Amendment Rights
I believe in and support the right of individual citizens to own and bear arms.  I also support Minnesota’s Right to Carry Law, including oversight rules, which protects the rights of all Minnesota citizens.  I will always support YOUR individual rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.   
To move MN forWARD > > 

Transportation
We must maintain the necessary transportation infrastructure while we expand the availability of public transportation to alleviate congestion, improve safety, reduce energy usage, and provide access to services for our less mobile citizens.  Doing the right thing takes vision, collaboration and courage, and I am committed to do the right thing to move Minnesota forward.
To move MN forWARD > > 

Constituent Services
As your representative, I author, research and vote on legislation.  However, the most important part of my job is to be YOUR advocate.  I spend much of my time helping YOU and the organizations you belong to with problems and concerns.  I also believe it is important for me to take the time to recognize and help you celebrate your accomplishments, successes and special events in your life.

In the last two years I have assisted you with issues involving home foreclosures, adoptions, homelessness, handicap accessibility, child custody, license reinstatement, planning and zoning and others too numerous to mention.  I have assisted local organizations that needed to deal with grant denials, program funding cuts and many other issues.

I take pride in providing prompt responses to your emails, letters, and/or phone calls.   I am not always able to get you the desired result.  Sometimes we may even have to agree to disagree, but I will always help you understand and navigate what can be a complicated and sometimes unresponsive system.

My role as your legislator is to advocate for YOU and YOUR interests to the best of my ability and to work as hard as I can to protect and enhance YOUR quality of life.

Education
Minnesota has a long history of leadership and excellence in providing quality education and has served as a model for the nation.  Even in times of economic downturn, children have only one chance to come to school and receive a quality education.

Funding reform is key to the long-term success of our schools. By using a common sense approach, and cooperation among our legislators, we can rebuild Minnesota's educational programs.  In the last few years, “The Minnesota Miracle” has slowly been eroded until the state is no longer meeting its basic constitutional obligation to equally educate our children.  The current situation in Brainerd and Crosby are examples of what can happen when the state abdicates its responsibility.

During this biennium I authored, co-authored and supported bills that restored the 2003 budget cuts to ECFE, Head Start, School Readiness and Adult Basic Education; helped local school districts with special education costs; provided funding for all-day kindergarten and began revamping and overhauling the outdated and broken education funding  system.

I will continue to fight to return Minnesota to the forefront of public education by fully and fairly funding our public school systems.

Health Care
Minnesota citizens, the healthiest in the nation, deserve access to quality, comprehensive, affordable and portable universal health care.  Through bi-partisan compromise, we are expanding access to health care to more than 100,000 Minnesotans in a fiscally responsible way. We are building a health care system that will pay to keep people healthy.

While healthcare costs skyrocket, nearly 500,000 Minnesotans, including 100,000 children, have no health insurance, the highest number since 1998. The uninsured and underinsured receive less preventive care, are diagnosed at more advanced disease stages, are less likely to receive proper medical care for common childhood illnesses, and are more likely to have untreated vision problems.  Many Minnesotans, although fortunate enough to have healthcare coverage, are paying a disproportionate share of their income for this coverage.  To illustrate, a Families USA survey found:

• 1 in 5 Minnesotans (1 million people) pay more than 10% of their income for health care.

• 250,000 Minnesotans with insurance pay more than 25% of their income for health care.

• Three working-aged Minnesotans die each week due to lack of health insurance.

I have witnessed the impact on quality of life that the lack of access to affordable health care has.  Providing healthcare for all will remain one of my highest legislative priorities.

Property Tax Reform
Real property tax reform is the only thing that will help save the American dream for many Minnesotans.  Taxes have become less fair and more regressive over the past decade.  The battle cry of “No New Taxes” failed to address the need for local governments and school districts to provide basic services, the cost of which has increased significantly.  The result has been a dramatic increase in local property taxes and fees.  These increases have had the greatest impact on those who can least afford it; our low and middle-income families and our senior citizens on fixed incomes.

In 2007 I helped pass a property tax reform bill that could have provided property tax relief to over 99% of Minnesota property taxpayers-but the governor vetoed it.  This session, House DFLers continued to ramp up the pressure for property tax relief with several groundbreaking proposals.  We brought the Governor and Republicans to the table to negotiate something Minnesotans have long demanded- property tax relief.  Some of the provisions of what we were able to accomplish are:

• Permanent Property Tax Relief
  $25 million in direct relief

• Increased Aid to Cities, Counties, and Townships
  $60 million in Local Government Aid to cities and counties

• Inflationary Increases Will Provide Sustained Relief
  LGA: 2% inflationary increase in 2011 and 4% inflationary increase in 2012

• A 3.9% Levy Limit Will Provide more Property Tax Relief
  We added several new special levies not included in the limits to protect essential services

• Foreign Operating Corporation Tax Loopholes were closed, generating more than $100 million in new revenue.

This is only a start.  I am committed to a fair and balanced tax structure for individuals and businesses in which all pay their fair share. Property ownership should be an attainable reality for all Minnesotans- not just the “American Dream.”

Economy and Jobs
Minnesota has long been known as a hard-working state with highly skilled labor.  Our very identity, the pride and self-esteem we have in our communities, is directly tied to the availability of living wage jobs.

The House hit the ground running early in the session passing both transportation and capital investment bills that will create nearly 40,000 jobs.  In these bills we focused our energy on projects that are ready to go and will have an immediate impact on Minnesota's economy.  We also created the jobs of tomorrow through investments in our public colleges and universities as well as our green-collar economy.

The Cuyuna Recreation Area bonding project, which I authored, has the potential to create significant economic growth and jobs for District 12A.

I believe that through bipartisan efforts District 12A will rebound economically.  We must work together to ensure a prosperous future for every Minnesotan.

I will work to create, obtain and retain living wage jobs in our communities.  I will encourage local economic development, which is vital for the economic stability of area families.

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Environment and Conservation
Minnesota and District 12A have one of the most enviable natural environments in the nation. Protecting that environment is key. Through natural resource planning, renewable energy initiatives, conservation and recycling we can ensure that Minnesota's natural habitats, parks, wetlands, forests, rivers and lakes are preserved for our children and grandchildren.

Also, we must protect the rights of all sportsmen and sportswomen to hunt and fish throughout Minnesota.  Hunting, fishing and other outdoor sports are an integral part of Minnesota’s life and economy, particularly in central Minnesota.  Sportsmen and sportswomen understand the relationship between themselves and the environment and are judicious stewards of Minnesota’s natural habitats.  We must protect this valuable part of our heritage.
 

In 2007 I received a 100% rating on my conservation voting record from Conservation Minnesota.  In 2008 I received an 82% rating from Clean Water Action.

I am proud of my conservation voting record and will continue to work to protect our beautiful environment.

Pro-Life
As a pro-life legislator with a 100% pro-life voting record, I subscribe to a “Consistent Ethic of Life.”  Being consistently pro-life is taking care of our children and providing them with quality education and health care. Being consistently pro-life is helping our poor and working to create and retain living wage jobs that our families need in order to have economic stability. Being consistently pro-life means helping those who are homeless, have alcohol or chemical problems, or who cannot help themselves.  Being consistently pro-life means opposing abortion and the death penalty.

I believe being pro-life means protecting all of our vulnerable citizens from conception to a natural death.

Energy
We need to continue to work together to promote a balanced agenda that will move Minnesota and our nation forward in addressing our energy crisis and needs.  After years of ignoring the need to develop alternative and renewable sources of energy, last session we set ambitious renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals, and this year developed plans and initiatives to help make those goals a reality.  We will also help grow green jobs across our state by promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions.

Some of these initiatives are:

• Helping small wind projects get up and running by joining forces to place large orders.

• Tracking state progress on greenhouse gas reduction goals.

• Providing support for an emerging solar panel manufacturing industry.

• Passing the first-in-the-nation B20 (biodiesel) mandate bill.

• Providing help for state and local governments interested in making public buildings energy efficient

• Creating new sustainable building standards

• Implementing solar energy rebates

I have helped Minnesota become a national leader with aggressive renewable energy standards. 

Veterans Services
Our freedom depends on the sacrifices made by current and former members of our armed forces, active and reserve.  I supported several bills passed this last session to make Minnesota a more “Veteran Friendly” state.

Some of the features of these bills were:

• Begin the work to establish case managers in all 87 counties for coordinated veteran care

• Develop a treatment program for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• Military service combat income tax credit  ($120/month)

• Military income tax credit for disabled vets or those with 20 years of services ($750/year)

• Income tax exemptions for National Guard training pay

• Expansion of unpaid leave policies for families of military members

• Expanded GI bill access through eligibility changes and allowance for summer school attendance

• An advisory council to monitor veterans' health care issues

• Establishes military veterans' motorcycle license plates

I authored a bill to allow spouses and dependents of our military, who meet Minnesota residency requirements, to be immediately eligible for higher education aid.

I requested planning and design dollars in the bonding bill to expand the veterans clinic in District 12A

I have and will continue to support an aggressive Veterans Service agenda.  I want to thank all current and former military personnel.  We appreciate so much what you have done and continue to do to protect the freedoms we enjoy.

Seniors
District 12A will soon have more retired residents than children in school.  This changing demographic will provide unique legislative challenges at the local and State level.

I have voted for and will continue to support essential senior programs such as RSVP, Foster Grandparents, Senior Companion, senior nutrition programs and community nursing block programs. I was proud to vote for a long overdue increase in funding for our nursing home direct care workers.  Programs that support allowing seniors to stay longer in their own homes are a high priority of mine.  It makes sense socially, emotionally, and economically.  I also support organizations like Lutheran Social Services, Lakes Area Interfaith Caregivers and others, which provide many services to our Senior Citizens.
           

I am a member of AARP, MN Senior Federation and the Brainerd Lakes Senior Center.
 

I often visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities to receive feedback from residents, staff and administrators.  I was taught to respect and care for my elders and do so to this day. 

I will continue to fight for issues that I know are important to our seniors: health care, long term care and property tax reform.

Second Amendment Rights
I believe in and support the right of individual citizens to own and bear arms.  I also support Minnesota’s Right to Carry Law, including oversight rules, which protects the rights of all Minnesota citizens. 

I will always support YOUR individual rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution. 

Transportation
We must maintain the necessary transportation infrastructure while we expand the availability of public transportation to alleviate congestion, improve safety, reduce energy usage, and provide access to services for our less mobile citizens.  The passage of the transportation bill addressed these concerns.  Investment in our transportation infrastructure was long overdue.  I was proud to vote for this needed long-term investment for our state and its citizens. 

This bill does much more than provide funding to fix roads and bridges.  It creates thousands of jobs in the next 5 years, improves safety, provides economic growth and facilitates access to family recreational opportunities in Greater Minnesota.  These are all critical issues for the economy of District 12A.

Also, this bill recognizes the financial stress some of our citizens are under because of the economy.  Anyone over eighteen in the lowest tax bracket will receive a $25 credit to offset the increase in the gas tax, which will begin to apply for tax year 2009.  In addition, by providing more state funding, homeowners will effectively see the property tax burden for transportation decreased.  Local governments will also have additional resources available for local matches.

At the local level this bill will provide funding of over 14 million dollars in the next 10 years for our highways and bridges.

Is this bill the reason for higher gas prices?  Absolutely not.  That allegation is a distortion and misleading. 

Doing the right thing takes vision, collaboration and courage.  I am committed to do the right thing to move Minnesota forward.