Monday, May 20, 2013
Richfield already funds all-day kindergarten, however, the extra funds are welcome.
A $15.7 billion education package that will "make life easier" for working parents, according to the bill's supporters, now awaits Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton's signature as work begins to wrap up on the 2013 Legislative Session. The omnibus bill, which means one version of the bill was introduced in each chamber, was approved with small support from Republicans over the weekend, picking up five GOP votes in the state house and four more in the senate. Sen. Ann Rest of New Hope was the lone "no" vote from the DFL (Democrat) side of the aisle in the senate, creating the 41-26 margin. The bill raises the state's method of funding local schools by $156 per pupil for a total of nearly $235 million in new money over the next two years. The …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The committees' approvals send same-sex marriage bill to the floor of both legislature branches.
Last update: 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Both Minnesota House and Senate committees approved respective versions of a bill that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples Tuesday. First the Senate Judiciary Committee approved SF 925 in a 5-3 vote down party lines. The House Civil Law Committee later approved HF 1054 in a 10-7 vote. The approvals push the measure to the floors of both legislature branches for all Minnesota lawmakers to vote on. The deadline for the bill to make it through committees was this Friday. Now that the committees have given their approval, it's unknown when legislators will vote on whether to make the bill law. Richfield Patch will update readers as more infomation becomes available. *** Original text: …
Friday, March 8, 2013
Sen. Melissa Halvorson-Wiklund recaps her week on Capitol Hill in St. Paul.
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Friday, March 8
Editor's note: The following is freshman Sen. Melissa Halvorson-Wiklund's newsletter update from the capitol for the week ending Feb. 22, 2013. Halvorson-Wiklund serves on the following Senate committees: Health, Human Services and Housing; and Education: E-12 Finance, State & Local Government. Education always a hot topic in St. Paul Building on my experience serving on the Bloomington School Board, I’m lucky enough to serve on both the Education and E-12 Education Finance committees. As a result, I spend a great deal of my time working on education and being a voice for Bloomington and Richfield schools. With recent high-profile incidents of school violence, mental health in schools has been a frequent topic of discussion. Senators Alice…
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek joined lawmakers and Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association at the Capitol Wednesday.
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Thursday, March 7
Editor's Note: The following is a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office press release. Wednesday, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek and the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association announced support for state legislation that would improve public safety by strengthening gun background checks and increasing punishments for repeat offenders. Sheriff Stanek and Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Jim Franklin joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the State Capitol in St. Paul to support the legislation authored by State Representative Debra Hilstrom of Brooklyn Center. The proposal would improve data sharing by providing the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) with the most current, accurate and complete …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Watch the announcement live in the video window below at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27.
Wednesday morning, Minneapolis and St. Louis Park legislators introduced a measure that would legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota. Watch the replay of the announcement on Patch, courtesy of TheUptake! Tune in to this webpage at 10 a.m. At 10 a.m., Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-61) and Reps. Karen Clark (DFL-62A) and Steve Simon (DFL-46B) will join Rabbi Michael Latz from Southwest Minneapolis' Shir Tikvah synagogue and United Church of Christ leader Rev. Karen Smith Sellers to formally announced the introduction of a legalization bill. All five were prominent leaders in the defeat of a 2012 state constitutional amendment seeking to ban same-sex marriage. The legislation is co-authored by state Sen. Brad Peterson (R-35). National same-sex …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Sen. Melissa Halvorson-Wiklund recaps her week on Capitol Hill in St. Paul.
Editor's note: The following is freshman Sen. Melissa Halvorson-Wiklund's newsletter update from the capitol for the week ending Feb. 22, 2013. Halvorson-Wiklund serves on the following Senate committees: Health, Human Services and Housing; and Education: E-12 Finance, State & Local Government. Session Continues as Bills Work Through Committees After a lengthy debate, the Senate passed a bill that would expand medical assistance to Minnesotans up to 138% of the federal poverty level. As I stated in my last update, this is a great bill that will help many Minnesotans. Since the House had already passed it, the bill went on to Governor Dayton’s desk, and he signed it into law on Tuesday. Beyond the MA expansion, most of the action in the …
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Richfield's House rep talks about the governor's recent budget proposal.
Editor's Note: The following is a letter from Rep. Linda Slocum (D-50A). To the editor: Governor Dayton recently released his budget proposal for the 2014-2015 biennium. The Governor’s proposal rejects shifts, tricks, and gimmicks—it would end an era of structural deficits. Though I am still reviewing the proposal, Governor Dayton’s budget includes smart, new investments in early, K-12, and higher education. Investing in a world-class education system ensures Minnesotans will develop the skills for the economy of the future. This budget proposal also includes property tax reduction for middle-class Minnesotans. More money in the pockets of middle class homeowners will help drive job creation and economic growth across the state. To ensure …
Sunday, January 20, 2013
The following letter was submitted to Patch by Rep. Linda Slocum (D-50A).
To the editor: As a teacher, I understand how important education is to the next generation. Great schools and quality education are the tickets to economic opportunity for our kids. As a legislator, I am committed to ensuring our schools have the resources they need to provide a world class education to our children and grandchildren. Due to budget shifts from the past two years, Minnesota owes our schools $2.4 billion in delayed aid. I am honored to serve this term as Vice-Chair of the Education Finance Committee. As Vice-Chair, I am working to repay our schools so that they have the resources they need to educate kids all across Minnesota. Good schools can have such a positive impact on not only our kids, but on families and whole …
Friday, January 4, 2013
Legislative Clerk David Surdez places the names of the 2013-2014 House members on the voting board in the House Chamber. The legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 8.
Legislative Clerk David Surdez places the names of the 2013-2014 House members on the voting board in the House Chamber. The 134 name plates have to be adjusted by hand at least every two years. The legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 8. After redistricting, and the 2012 General Election, Richfield will be represented by Linda Slocum and Jean Wagenius in the Minnesota House of Representatives and Patricia Torres Ray and Melissa Halvorson-Wiklund in the Senate. Slocum, Wagenius and Torres-Ray all one re-election campaigns. Follow Richfield Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Here's what you need to know to start the year off right.
New Minnesota Laws Effective Jan. 1, 2013 The following are some of the new laws that take effect Jan. 1, 2013. The asterisk following the bill number denotes the language that became law. Summaries of all laws passed by the 2012 Legislature are available online from nonpartisan House Public Information Services. BUSINESS Business solicitation restrictions clarified Licensed health care providers will be prohibited from using third parties to solicit business from those who have been in automobile accidents, unless they clearly provide their names and the clinics where they work. Sponsored by Rep. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) and Sen. Paul Gazelka (R-Brainerd), the law will require this information to be disclosed to consumers. Violating the …
rob_h78
11:52 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
The old "Hitler" reference... What "Constitutional Rights" are eroding before our eyes? Regarding Germany - it was the government BEFORE Hitler that enacted strong gun controls - Hitler actually eased he restrictions on private gun ownership. Further Hitler was extremely popular in Germany - he had no need to take guns away - in fact he was putting guns into German hands as quickly as they could … more ›