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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Peggy Bennett (R)

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Special Session update 06-13-2015

Saturday, June 13, 2015
 
Dear Friends,

Governor Dayton called legislators back to Saint Paul on Thursday for our one day special session. that took place Friday and concluded about an hour ago. We debated and passed the remaining 2016-2017 budget bills, a small bonding bill for public works and infrastructure projects, and a bill that makes technical changes and fixes to previously passed bills. 

The special session took place in the State Office Building since the Capitol and House Chamber are closed for renovations. This made for a very unique session, with roll call votes instead of the electronic voting board. During a roll call each legislator's name is read and they can vote yes, no, or pass and wait for the roll call to come around to them again. With 134 House members, each vote took quite a long time!

Please email me or call my office if you have any questions about the bills that passed. I was proud to vote yes on all of these bills. It was important to get our work done so we can finally deliver important avian flu relief, a great education bill, a bonding bill that includes money for the Steele County Public Works building and transportation, and certainty for the state workers and other Minnesotans who have been waiting for the completion of the budget. Here are some quick highlights of each of the bills.

Education
We are increasing funding for our schools by $525 million including major funding for proven early learning programs that will help close the achievement gap. Here in our district, it means $512 in increased funding per student for Albert Lea Public Schools, $318 per student for Alden Public Schools, $352 for United South Central, $309 for Blooming Prairie, $307 for Hayfield, and $317 for Glenville.

The reason for the differences between each school district is the variety of funding formulas that take into account local district levies, special education students, students on free and reduced lunch, compensatory funding and many other factors.

The Education bill includes two bills I chief authored; one to reduce state mandated testing, and another bill to automatically deny or revoke a teaching license and rights to an appeal hearing for anyone convicted of a child sex crime. It also includes reforms to our teacher licensure process to make it easier for qualified out-of-state teachers to come to Minnesota. I hope this, along with my bill to offer loan forgiveness for teachers who teach in shortage areas can be used as tools to address our teacher shortage problem.

I'm proud of the bipartisan work done on this bill. It's a great bill that's going to help thousands of Minnesota kids and makes important reforms as well. Spending more money alone isn't going to help close the achievement gap. The reforms included in this bill, partnered with additional funding, will help move us toward our goal of a world-class education for kids in every part of the state.

Agriculture and Environment
This bill includes emergency funding for our poultry farmers and for state agencies who have been responding to the avian flu epidemic. It also features important streamlining and reforms of environmental regulations, and saves some taxpayer dollars by reducing spending.

My bill to designate the Shell Rock River as a state waterway is also included in this bill.

Jobs and Energy
The Jobs and Energy bill includes unemployment assistance for poultry workers impacted by avian flu and steelworkers who have been laid off on the Iron Range. It also includes funding for broadband, workforce housing, and job training to help train Minnesota workers for better-paying jobs. Like the Agriculture and Environment bill, the Jobs and Energy bill saves taxpayer dollars by reducing spending overall.

Bonding
Bonding bills help fund important public works and infrastructure projects across the state that cities and counties otherwise could not afford to build on their own. This year's bonding bill includes funding for the Steele County Public Works Building which was devastated by flooding. It also has funding for road and bridge projects, funding to continue an important Southwest Minnesota water pipeline project, and more.

Please continue to stay in touch and send me your thoughts, comments, and questions. Reach me any time via email at rep.peggy.bennett@house.mn or call 651-296-8216.

It was truly an honor and a privilege to be here working your behalf for the past several months. It's been my goal since the start of session to put party labels aside in favor of doing what's best for our district and our state. I've been proud to work across the aisle on nearly all of the bills I chief authored this session, and I'm proud of the fact that we were able to pass a truly bipartisan budget. It may have taken a special session, but we showed that shared government can find agreement. The result is a good budget that will help many in our state.

Have a great weekend!

Peggy Bennett
State Representative, District 27A
rep.peggy.bennett@house.mn
651-296-8216
www.facebook.com/reppeggybennett
www.twitter.com/PeggyABennett
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