senate district 60 2012 legislative report

7/31/2019 Senate District 60 2012 Legislative Report

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Dear Friends,Thank you for giving us the honor of representing you in the Minnesota Legislature

The recently concluded biennial session was marked by gridlock. The Republican

legislative majorities did not balance the budget in a fiscally responsible manner.

Unfortunately, the legacy of the 2011-2012 session will be passage of a large

public subsidy for a new Vikings stadium, promotion of constitutional amendments

to restrict the freedom to marry for the LGBT community, and an effort to suppress

voting rights through a restrictive photo ID requirement. These ballot questions will

be decided in the general election on November 6.

One positive accomplishment of the session was a reform to Minneapolis police

and fire pension funds which will curb steep increases in city property taxes.

With the support of Governor Dayton, we were able to turn back efforts to curtail

a womans right to reproductive self-determination, restrict collective bargaining,

attack public school teachers, and increase Metro Transit bus and train fares.

The Capital Bonding bill included support for affordable housing, Minneapolis

Community and Technical College and a rail transit hub in downtown Minneapolis.

We appreciate the active involvement in state legislative issues of so many of you.

Please continue to write, call or visit us with your legislative and community concerns.

Rep. Frank Hornstein Rep. Marion Greene Sen. Scott Dibble

2012 LEGISLATIVE REPORTRep. MaRion GReene Rep. FRankHoRnstein sen. scott Dibble


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2012 LEGISLATIVE REPORTRep. MaRion GReene Rep. FRankHoRnstein sen. scott Dibble

ANTI-MARRIAGE AMENDMENTWe are extremely disappointed that a constitutional

amendment that will permanently restrict the freedom

of loving, committed same sex couples to get married

in Minnesota will appear on the November general

election ballot. An incredible coalition has come to-

gether to defeat the amendment. This coalition seeks

to displace the disinformation from amendment pro-

ponents with a civil discussion about the importance

of freedom in our democracy; the fact that marriage is

about love and commitment; and that, in Minnesota,

we come together not to judge one another, but to

treat each other the way we would want to be treated

ourselves.

VOTER ID AMENDMENTAnother disappointing outcome of the 2012 session

was passage of a constitutional amendment to

require photo identification for voting, which will beon the November ballot. The amendment, if passed,

will make it difficult for many Minnesotans to exercise

their right to vote, including senior citizens, students,

people with disabilities and new citizens. It threatens

same-day registration and some forms of absentee

voting. There is, in fact, no evidence of voter fraud

and voter impersonation in Minnesota, and a voter ID

requirement has significant financial costs to the state

and to individual voters.

VIKINGS STADIUM

We voted against the Vikings Stadium financing planbecause it relies too heavily on expanding gambling

for the state share of funding, and places significant

restrictions on the future use of Minneapolis sales

taxes for non-sports facility purposes. The legislation

also preempts the city charter, and as a result

Minneapolis voters will have no say in whether city

sales taxes should be used for stadium construction

and operations. We supported plans that would

have raised more revenue from private sources and

stadium users, or revenue that also could have been

used for more effective investments in our economicfuture. We will work to ensure that Minneapolis

taxpayers will not have to contribute more if state

gambling taxes fall short of projections.

EDUCATIONFully 40% of all school funding is now held back

every year in a measure Minnesota Republicans

passed in 2011 as their budget fix. In 2012, themajority party rejected long-term solutions to pay

back schools and begin to permanently solve

structural budget problems. The Republican

legislature mimicked the national push of attacking

public school teachers. While 40% of Minnesotas

school districts have agreements with teacher unions

that recognize factors in addition to seniority in the

hiring and firing of teachers, efforts were made to

institute a one-size-fits-all approach. In good news,

the teacher evaluation process called for in 2011 is


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well underway. Additionally, Minnesota was one of

nine states to win a federal Race To The Top (RTT)

early learning grant. Winning states were asked to

demonstrate a commitment to making early learning

programs more effective, accessible and coordinated.

TRANSPORTATIONThe legislature missed important opportunities to

expand public transportation and improve road and

bridge safety. We succeeded in halting Republican

proposals to both increase fares and cut Metro Tran-

sit. The Omnibus Transportation Policy bill included

Dibble-Hornstein provisions to enhance bike safety

and ensure that bicycles with a modest boost to ped-

als be defined simply as bicycles. While the bonding

bill did include a small amount of funding for a down-town Minneapolis light rail and commuter rail hub,

known as the Interchange, no progress was made to

support the Southwest LRT line, nor the I-35W/Lake

Street transit station. It also barely made a dent in

funding needed for bridge and road safety improve-

ments, which is particularly troubling as we approach

the fifth anniversary of the I-35W bridge collapse.

BONDINGThe legislature made a $496 million investment in

infrastructure improvements though the biennial

capital bonding bill. While the Southwest Light Rail

Transit Corridor was not funded (even with the strong

backing of the metro business community and the

citizens in the western suburbs), the bill does invest

in a transit center to be located near the Twins

stadium. Additionally, the final legislation contains

$50 million for asset preservation and replacement

for the University of Minnesota, and $95 million

for investment in Minnesotas state colleges and

universities, most notably $8.9 million for updating

classroom and training facilities at Minneapolis

Community and Technical College.

PROPERTY TAXESRepublican budgets have driven property taxes, the

most regressive tax, up 82%, fully $3.8 billion in the

last 10 years via cuts to Local Government Aid and

County Program Aid, cuts to K-12 education, and

transportation costs pushed onto local governments.

Before they would end their government shutdown

last summer, Republicans insisted on eliminating the

Market Value Homestead Credit, making permanent

the cut to the renters credit, and expanding the

accounting shift to which public schools are subject.

Meanwhile, Republicans sought elimination of the

statewide property tax for businesses, which once

again would have pushed more taxes onto residents.

One bright spot was our success in merging policeand fire pension funds into the states larger pension

system, eliminating what would have been a $26

million Minneapolis property tax levy.

ARTS/LEGACYIn the face of continuing tight budgets, proposals were

floated to divert constitutionally dedicated Legacyfunds for a variety of projects, including the Vikings

stadium, restoration of the State Capitol building, and

even a proposal to insist that 40% of the fund address

K-12 education needs. Such plans run contrary to

the intent and language of the recently enacted

Legacy Amendment. Highlights of the final bills were

investment in aquatic invasive species research at the

U of M and continued significant supplemental funding

to be distributed by the Minnesota Arts Board.


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CONTACT SEN. DIBBLE:

115 State Office BuildingSt. Paul, MN 55155

(651) [email protected]

www.senate.mn/senatordibble

CHOICEWomens freedom to determine their own future,

their own reproductive decisions, even their right to

a fair wage were under withering attack this session.

Numerous bills eroding access to safe, legal abortion,

family planning services, health care providers, and

even a constitutional amendment were introduced.Many were passed. Each was vetoed by Governor

Dayton. Amazingly, we had to fight against a repeal

of the long-standing guarantee in our law that women

receive equal pay for equal work.

RIGHT TO WORKThe labor movementthe right of workers to

organize for better working conditionsis part of the

larger movement for greater democracy, dignity and

opportunity for Americans. The American Legislative

Exchange Council (ALEC), fueled by big business,

launched sustained, unyielding, Wisconsin-style

attacks on workers. We stood up against daily

assaults on wages, working conditions, benefits and

a dignified retirement for public employees, including

our teachers, police and nurses. Those that got to

Governor Daytons desk were promptly vetoed.

SHOOT FIRSTShoot First legislation garnered a lot of attentiona

bill that would have lowered the threshold for

a person to legally fire a gun at someone. We

especially appreciated Governor Daytons veto given

the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of

Trayvon Martin in Florida.

REDISTRICTINGDue to the 2010 census, all of Minnesotas legislative

districts have been redrawn to reflect Minnesotas

current population distribution. Unfortunately this

means that Minneapolis lost two legislators, including

Rep. Marion Greene. She bids you a fond farewell,

with much gratitude for your support over the last two

years. Maps of the new districts can be found here:http://www.gis.leg.mn/html/redistricting.html

CONTACT REP. GREENE:



www.house.mn/60A

CONTACT REP. HORNSTEIN:



www.house.mn/60B

senate district 60 2012 legislative report

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