8/12/2019 Pre-Session Newsletter

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Staying Busy:Staying Busy: 

Following the 2012 election, I was appointed to serve as Chair of the Higher Education/Workforce

Development Committee. I have been humbled and honored to serve in this capacity. I believe

that ensuring Minnesota’s strong tradition of educational excellence is vital to a successful and

vibrant future for our state. The 2013 Higher Education/Workforce Development Committee had

positive impacts such as a tuition freeze at the University of Minnesota and MnSCU and made key

investments in workforce related efforts.

During the interim, my office made it a priority to get even more familiar with the issues facing our

Post-Secondary System. Specifically, I wanted to hear directly from students across the State about

the issues that confront them on a daily basis. Joined by my staff and local legislators, during the

month of September we conducted a listening tour across the entire State. I heard suggestions

from students and administrators to better learn how to keep moving Minnesota’s higher

educational system forward. These visits were invaluable, as you do not truly know somewhere

until you visit personally.

Among the common themes that we heard on our tour was the frustration that students

experienced in transferring credits from one institution to another. This doesn’t just irritate

students, it has a real impact on the debt they take on and can significantly increase the time it

takes them to graduate. In addition, we heard that students are extremely enthusiastic about

internship and other experiential learning opportunities. As the 2014 Session gets underway, one

of my top focuses will be on encouraging businesses and young people to engage in more of these.

2014 Legislative Preview

  Minimum Wage

  Repeal Business to

Business Taxes

  Teacher Evaluation

Implementation

  Comprehensive

Transportation

Investment

  “Unsession” 

Closing the Skills Gap, Reducing Student Debt:

As Chair of the Higher Education/Workforce Development Committee, one of the initiatives that I am most excited about this Session is the possibilit

of creating a comprehensive, apprentice-like system that matches up businesses with students right out of high school. Imagine a program in which

businesses choose a handful of students to sponsor. They would offer these students a stipend to work and train at their company. The students wo

simultaneously take courses at a Post-Secondary Institution and receive credit for their work. When the program is up, the company would be able to

hire these new workers full-time. The students would already have the exact skills the company requires. This would cut down on training and hiring

costs for the company. In addition, it would save students time, money, and anxiety about how they are going to enter the workforce. The State cou

facilitate this relationship and possibly even subsidize the tuition for the students.

Hollydale:

Last Session, we passed a law that prohibits a 115kv power line from running through Plymouth neighborhoods unless there is no distribution

alternative. The law clearly stated that this project could not move forward unless there was clear and convincing evidence that there were no other

distribution alternatives. In the face of this strong opposition, Xcel has withdrawn their application. I accept and appreciate Xcel’s petition to withdra

in hopes of finding another solution. However, many residents remain concerned that Xcel is going to come back in a few months with a new propos

that would not adhere to the law that was passed, nor the legislative intent behind the law. Representative Sarah Anderson and I drafted a letter to

the Judge to express our strong belief that Xcel should only be allowed to withdraw their current application if they are required to have future

proposals adhere to the same law.

8/12/2019 Pre-Session Newsletter

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