Dear Friends,
The 2015 session is officially underway and it is a privilege and honor to once again serve you, your family, and neighbors at the Capitol.
Session Begins
January 6th marked the first day of session as all 134 members of the House were sworn in to begin their two year terms as State Representatives. After the swearing in ceremony, we voted to elect a new Speaker of the House, appointed a handful of non-partisan staff to their official posts, and approved of some temporary House rules.
After officially moving back into the majority this past Tuesday, our top priority will be setting the state’s two year budget. I am looking forward to bringing fiscal responsibility back to state government after two years of reckless spending by the previous Democrat majority.
Legislative Priorities
House Republicans unveiled the first five bills of the session on Thursday. These initiatives will serve as our chief priorities for this coming session. Here is a quick breakdown of House Files 1-5:
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House File 1: Grows better paying jobs for all Minnesotans by encouraging business growth through tax credits, rolling back the amount of time it takes to obtain a business permit from the DNR or MPCA, and limiting state agencies’ ability to impede on a competitive business climate here in Minnesota.
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House File 2: Gives every child a chance for a world class education by reforming teacher licensure and empower local school districts to hire and maintain effective teachers.
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House File 3: Protects aging adults’ quality of life by attracting top quality long term health care sand nursing home workers into the field through education loan forgiveness programs and by creating a long term health care savings plan to cover nursing home costs.
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House File 4: Refocuses transportation spending on roads and bridges and requires MNDOT to find additional dollars, through savings, in order to build and maintain infrastructure.
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House File 5: Ensures that every Minnesotan has fair access to affordable health care by reining in MNSure with additional oversight and eliminating unchecked compensation for bloated bonuses and executive salaries.
These bills serve as a starting point for the conversations I am looking forward to having with constituents as my colleagues and I begin to work on solutions to the problems that matter most to them and their families.
Constituent Coffee
I will be holding my first constituent coffee for this session tomorrow January 10th from 9:00-10:15. Please feel free to stop by the Caribou Coffee north in Alexandria located at 307 N Nokomis St. I encourage you to stop by and let me know your thoughts, questions, and concerns on the upcoming session. I look forward to chatting with you.
Staying Connected
Please note that my office number at the State Office Building has changed, I am now located in room 517. Also, please keep an eye on your email inbox as I will be sending out weekly updates on what’s happening in St. Paul and how it impacts our community. As always, if you have any questions or concerns relating to any legislative issue, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at Rep.Mary.Franson@House.MN or call my office at 651-296-3201. You can also send mail to my office address: 517 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Sincerely,
Mary