303 State Capitol

75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Capitol UpdateFebruary 5, 2015

www.senate.mn/
senatorwiklund

Highlights:
I serve on the following
committees: Health,
Human Services, and
Housing, E-12 Education
Policy and Finance, State
& Local Government.
I have introduced several
bills with significant bipartisan support.
Im also looking forward
to meeting with Bloomington and Richfield residents about issues that
will be discussed this
year.

How to contact me
at the Capitol:
Phone:
651-297-8061
E-mail:
sen.melissa.wiklund
@senate.mn

Rep. Linda
Slocum (50A):
651-296-7158
rep.linda.slocum
@house.mn
Rep. Ann
Lenczewski (50B):
651-296-4218
rep.ann.lenczewski
@house.mn

February 5, 2015

SD50Bloomington, Richfield

Committee Work Increases

With the legislative session
in full swing, committees have
begun to dive into work at a
more fevered pace. With committee deadlines set, and much
more restricted public meeting
space, committees are significantly limited in how much time
they have to meet.
The E-12 Education committee met and discussed three bills
authored by the chair, Sen.
Chuck Wiger (DFLMaplewood), dealing with
school technology and funding
equity. We also heard S.F. 6,
which would provide for universal pre-kindergarten. Additionally, we heard bills to reform
and stabilize school facility funding. These bills are based on
the recommendations of a
working group that was assembled to address issues that
school districts with aging facilities face in attempting to maintain them. More recently, we

heard bills to address school

funding as it relates to cost of
living differences around the
state, and reviewed the Governors budget proposal.
In the Health, Human Services, and Housing committee,
we continued working on recommendations for changes to
our child protection system.
Im hopeful that the changes
made to the pre-court screening
process, and additional oversight will help to fill in some of
the gaps in our system. Weve
all seen recent news stories
about harm coming to children,
and Im glad we are taking steps
to reduce it. We also heard
bills providing funding for grants
to help families do advance care
planning, and education and
early detection of dementia and
Alzheimers.
The State and Local Government committee heard present-

ations on the state workforce,

as well as state councils on people of color. This week, we
heard a bill that would change
how MNsure, the state health
insurance exchange, would be
run, making it a state agency, as
opposed to an independent
board as it stands currently.
The goal of this bill is increased
accountability.

Working on Bills
Ive been working with a
variety of groups on bills that
cover subjects as diverse as
transportation, housing, health
care, and education policy often
earning bipartisan support. Im
proud that we can find common
ground, and hope that will continue in this session.
Im the Senate author of a
number of bills to benefit our

community, specifically focusing

on the 35W-494 Interchange,
which is one of the most congested in the state.
Work to improve this intersection has been needed for
many years, and Im hopeful that
Rep. Lenczewski and I can secure funding for the first phase
of reconstruction this session.

Stay in touch! My contact

information, and the information for the House
members from our district
is on the left, please feel
free to contact my office
with any questions, comments, or concerns you
might have. I work for you,
and the more I hear from
you, the better I can do so!

Page 2

Capitol UpdateFebruary 5, 2015

Around the District

they compete at the UCA High School

National Championship in Orlando, FL!

Congratulations to Bloomington Kennedy

High School teacher Jonathan Anderson
and Richfield Middle School teacher Marit
Oberle on their nominations for Minnesota Teacher of the Year!

The Creekside Community Center (9801

Penn Ave S, Bloomington) will be hosting
free screenings of several classic movies on February 23rd and March 16th. For
more information, call (952) 563-4944.

Richfields Home & Garden Expo will

be February 21st, from 9am-3pm at Richfield High School (7001 Harriet Ave S).
Interested exhibitors can call (612) 8695669.

Minnesota History: On February 12th,

1895, Minnesota becomes the first state to
declare Abraham Lincolns birthday a
legal holiday. Lincoln was also the first candidate Minnesota voted for in a presidential
election, and a portrait of him famously
hangs in the front of the Minnesota House
of Representatives chamber.

Interested Richfield residents can vote on a

name for a street corridor that follows
parts of 76th and 77th Streets at
www.RichfieldConnect.mindmixer.com.

Best of luck to the Jefferson Varsity

Competitive Cheerleading Team as

Governor Unveils Budget Proposal

On January 27th, Governor Dayton outlined
his budget proposal. His proposal represents the
priorities that his administration is setting for the
next two years. The Senate and House will of
course have different priorities, and negotiations
are only just beginning, but I am pleased with
many of the ideas Gov. Dayton put forward.
The Governors budget proposal includes
strong investments in Early Childhood Education,
including voluntary statewide Pre-K, child care
tax credits, and eliminating the Head Start waiting list. Early childhood is an issue that Ive focused on in the Senate, and Im glad that the

Governor recognizes how important it is to

Minnesotas future.
Gov. Daytons budget also features significant
changes in transportation funding, including a
6.5% gross receipts tax on the price of gasoline.
There is a need for a substantial investment in
our transportation infrastructure, and I look
forward to continuing this discussion. Senate
DFLers detailed their transportation proposal a
few weeks ago, and priorities and budget targets
will continue to come forward in the coming
weeks. The work on the final agreement will
begin then.

Looking Ahead...
Ill be attending a meeting with city
officials and legislators from Bloomington to
discuss issues specific to the city, including some
bills that I am authoring. Ill also be meeting with
several constituents representing different professional organizations and interest areas. Additionally, I look forward to meeting with the
Commissioner of the MN Dept. of Human Services, and Dr. Brooks Jackson, the new Vice
President of for Health Sciences at the University
of Minnesota. Ill also continue my committee
and bill work. I hope youll stop by the Capitol
and say Hi!. Otherwise, Ill see you around
town!

Sen. Wiklund speaks with Sen. Susan Kent (DFL

-Woodbury) on the Senate floor.