Hello from the Capitol,
Conference Committees began meeting this week and working towards a compromise on the joint House and Senate budget proposal to the Governor. As I’ve mentioned before, we completed our work early in session, with all of the Omnibus bills done before the Easter/Passover recess. We did this intentionally so that we would allow plenty of time for conference committees and negotiations on joint budget targets with the Governor. Unfortunately, Governor Dayton has not been active in the process thus far. In order for the session to end successfully and on time, we need more commitment and engagement from the Governor’s office. I’m hopeful that discussions can move forward this coming week.
In the meantime, I have a few community updates and visits to share:
Tomorrow is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM. I encourage you to clean out your medicine cabinets and properly dispose of any unneeded medication to help stem the current rise in prescription drug abuse and addiction.
Click here to find the location nearest you.
Constituent Visits:
Last week, Senator Goggin and I were visited by students from Bluff View Elementary in Lake City; it was a lot of fun connecting with these young kids!
I was also visited by folks from Lutheran Social Services and those who benefit from their wonderful services.
Community Recognition:
- Congratulations to Wanda Randgaard from Lake City Elementary School for winning Elementary School Counselor of the Year!
- Congratulations to Craig Bell from Stewartville Middle School for winning Middle School Counselor of the Year!
- Earlier this week, I attended the Professional Women’s Leadership Event. Congratulations to all those nominated for the Business Professional Woman of the Year award: Joanne Krig (Wilson Oil), Michelle Walker (Bayley Law Office), Jill Fauchald (Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing), Jackie Paradis (Red Wing Public School District #256), Jeannie Riegelman (Treasure Island Resort & Casino), Ann Schafer (Food Service Specialties), Jessica Sievers (Sievers Creative), Renee Sievers (Sievers Creative), Brenda Stelter (Anchor Promotions, Apparel, & Signage), and especially Julie Klecker (Republican Eagle/RiverTown Multimedia) who won the award!?
- Susan Sorensen Langer, founder of Live.Give.Save. in Red Wing, won the Ignite Cup business competition put on by Red Wing Ignite. She will go on to compete as a semi-finalist at the Minnesota Cup, which is the largest startup business competition in the country. Read more about the mission of Live.Give.Save here. As a former member of the Red Wing Ignite Advisory Board, I want to congratulate and say good luck to Live.Give.Save.!
What an amazing and successful community we live in!
Staying InTouch:
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding anything related to state government, please do not hesitate to contact me at rep.barb.haley@house.mn or 651-296-8635.
I appreciate your comments and concerns as it helps me be a better representative.
Sincerely,
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