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April
24,
2017
Dear
Friends
&
Neighbors,
With
deadlines
passed,
conference
committees
are
beginning
to
meet
to
finalize
major
budget
bills.
What’s
a
conference
committee?
The
House
of
Representatives
and
the
Senate
each
passes
their
own
version
of
omnibus
bills.
They
are
almost
never
identical.
The
House
may
include
extra
provisions
in
its
bill
which
are
not
in
the
Senate
version,
or
the
Senate
may
have
a
higher
or
lower
spending
target
than
what
the
House
proposed.
Conference
Committees
meet
to
resolve
the
differences
between
the
two
bills
and
settle
on
one
compromise
that
can
then
be
sent
to
the
Governor
for
review.
They
are
made
up
of
5
members
of
each
chamber,
as
well
as
representatives
from
the
governor’s
office.
I
am
honored
to
be
appointed
to
serve
on
the
State
Government
Conference
Committee.
I
have
been
advocating
for
a
more
resourceful,
accountable,
and
efficient
government
since
I
began
my
journey
to
the
State
Senate.
I
look
forward
to
the
opportunity
to
participate
in
the
effort
to
reign
in
the
growing
bureaucracy
and
achieve
a
more
responsible,
sustainable
state
government
budget.
Getting
the
work
done
The
Minnesota
Legislature
has
earned
a
reputation
for
failing
to
get
its
work
done
by
the
end
of
session,
stalling
important
funding
and
policies
that
our
state
relies
on,
only
for
silly
political
reasons.
To
avoid
scrambling
to
push
major
budget
bills
through
at
the
11th
hour,
the
new
Republican
majority
set
early
deadlines
to
make
sure
we
would
have
plenty
of
time
for
conference
committees
to
hash
out
differences
and
find
a
compromise
on
the
omnibus
bills
we
have
worked
so
hard
to
pass.
Senate
Republicans
are
at
the
table
ready
to
work
with
the
Governor
to
find
the
best
solution
for
Minnesota.
Many
voters
elected
a
new
majority
because
they
were
tired
of
the
end-of-session
debacles
and
special
session
confusion.
They
just
want
to
see
the
government
fulfill
its
responsibilities
by
coming
together
and
getting
work
done.
That
is
just
what
Senate
Republicans
have
set
out
to
do
with
a
forward-looking,
transparent
legislative
schedule.
Now
we
have
allowed
more
time
than
ever
to
negotiate
major
legislation
before
session
ends
and
time
runs
out.
Senate
bills
passed
this
week
Besides
working
feverishly
to
finalize
major
budget
bills
in
conference
committee,
the
Senate
has
passed
a
few
important
policy
bills
to
note
this
week.
Fair
&
Uniform
State
Labor
Standards
Act
Currently,
each
local
government
passes
its
own
employment
laws
relating
to
hours,
wages,
and
benefits.
This
creates
variances
in
labor
standards
across
Minnesota
and
leaves
small
businesses
to
navigate
through
a
patchwork
of
inconsistent
workplace
laws.
This
is
very
costly
for
those
mom-and-pop
companies
that
manage
a
couple
locations
throughout
the
metro
area.
It
also
leaves
employees
confused
when
a
simple
relocation
leads
to
a
pay
cut
or
a
reduction
in
hours.
The
Uniform
State
Labor
Standards
Act
will
allow
the
Legislature
to
set
labor
standards
for
all
businesses
throughout
Minnesota.
It
remedies
the
confusing
and
conflicting
employment
laws
that
plague
small
businesses
and
restores
fairness
and
competition
in
the
market
by
setting
consistent
standards
for
all
to
comply.
Teacher
Licensure
Reform
Minnesota
faces
an
urgent
teacher
shortage.
This
is
largely
due
to
a
confusing
and
costly
teacher
licensure
process,
which
deters
many
qualified
candidates.
Senate
File
4
was
passed
last
week
to
create
a
new,
tiered
licensure
framework
that
will
ensure
high
standards,
consistency,
clarity,
and
transparency
while
opening
more
affordable
pathways
for
diverse
teacher
candidates
to
move
through
the
licensure
process.
Affordable
Housing
Bill
With
Minnesota’s
housing
market
reaching
the
top
as
the
most
expensive
in
the
country,
it
is
important
that
the
legislature
find
ways
to
ease
building
regulations
that
drive
up
the
costs
of
new
homes.
House
File
792
makes
two-unit
townhomes
more
affordable
by
treating
them
as
single-family
homes,
not
as
multi-unit
townhomes.
This
change
would
exempt
two-unit
townhomes
from
a
$10,000
added
cost
of
complying
to
the
state’s
sprinkler
mandate.
Thanks
for
keeping
in
touch
throughout
this
busy
session.
To
best
represent
our
community,
I
need
to
hear
from
all
my
constituents!
Please
feel
free
to
contact
my
office
with
your
questions
or
comments.
Sincerely,
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