Dear Neighbors,
I hope you’re having a great week and have enjoyed the cool, crisp fall weather. It’s a great time of year to live in Minnesota! Here’s a quick update on what’s happening and what we’ve been up to the last couple weeks.
Special Referendum on November 3rd
We are just over a week away from casting votes on School Districts’ 192, 194, and 196 proposed property tax levies. It’s important to vote on November 3 to have your voice heard on this issue. Please plan to vote, these levies will impact your property taxes and schools.
Here is a link to see the actual ballot questions for your taxing district:
http://myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us/
And here is a link to find where you should vote:
http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/
REAL ID
One of the important topics right now is Minnesota’s non-compliance with the federal REAL ID Act. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to require additional security features in new state-issued identification cards. The law sets an arbitrary deadline where anyone boarding a commercial airplane must have the new form of ID. While this may sound serious, there’s certainly no reason for Minnesotans to panic. Three other states, including New York, are in a similar situation heading into 2016. It is unlikely that the federal government would bar New York’s 20 million residents from air travel because New York, like Minnesota, has serious concerns about putting citizens’ personal privacy at risk.
This issue was firmly decided in 2009 where the Minnesota House voted 133-0 to prohibit our Department of Public Safety from implementing this program. A REAL ID card would have an even greater amount of your private information attached to it making personal data less secure.
Since the bill’s passage in 2009, there has been ZERO legislation proposed to repeal the non-compliance with the REAL ID Act. That means Republicans and Democrats alike believe that Minnesotan’s deserve personal data protection and data privacy, something a REAL ID card may not be able to promise.
I, along with select legislators, met with the Department of Homeland Security and were assured that if Minnesota takes steps to research and implement REAL ID, an extension should be granted.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety met with the Commission on Data Practices and noted, “Department of Homeland Security plans to announce the schedule for any changes to air travel requirements by the end of the year, and will ensure that state governments and the traveling public are notified at least 120 days in advance of implementation.” Going forward, the legislature will research REAL ID and address it during the 2016 legislative session to ensure we protect the private information of all Minnesotans.
Senior Nursing Home Tour
On Tuesday, I joined the House Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee for a tour of the Augustana Apple Valley Villa senior care facility. This nearby facility does great work in serving seniors from our area. I enjoyed interacting with residents and staff to learn more about aging and long-term care needs.
This past session, we made nursing home funding and reform a top priority. Our state’s nursing homes are set to receive $138 million more in new funding. We also changed the compensation formula to be based on their actual cost reports. This will provide care centers, like Augustana, with more funding per year. On top of increased resources, the legislature added real performance incentives to give facilities that provide outstanding care an increase in rates. I’m proud of the work we’ve done for our seniors and nursing homes, and look forward to continuing this effort.
Life in Lakeville
I recently finished my first season coaching my daughter Claire’s Lakeville U9 “Twin Tigers” girls’ soccer team. We finished with only one loss. I’m no soccer expert but I’m certainly proud of their effort all year. I can’t wait to see these 11 girls continue to progress as they become future Panthers and Cougars!
Last week I attended the “Club 52” fundraiser dinner for the Lakeville Lions. The Lions had a great turnout for the event. It was encouraging seeing the history and work the Lions do in the community and I enjoyed supporting such a valuable organization.
Good luck to both of our football teams on their tough playoff matchups this week. North will face Stillwater while South will square off with top-ranked Eden Prairie. Also, congratulations to the Lakeville North girls’ soccer team as they prevailed over Rochester Century to win the section championship! Best of luck to all activities in upcoming tournaments!
I’ve enjoyed hearing from many of you during the interim. Please contact my office with any questions, concerns, or suggestions and ideas. Also, let me know if you have a group, business, or organization that you would like to have me tour or visit. You can reach me at (651) 296-6926 or Rep.Jon.Koznick@house.mn.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Jon Koznick