“Say what you will do and do what you said”

A major goal in my first year in the Minnesota House of Representatives was to remain faithful to this adage.

During the 2006 campaign, I identified a number of initiatives I would pursue if elected.

Below, each initiative is listed together with the actions I took on each.

This is only a partial list—I chief-authored (the chief author carries the bill throughout the process), co-authored, and voted on many more bills that cover other important responsibilities of the state legislature.

Education

• Fully fund all-day, every-day kindergarten
• Chief Author: HF 78 (all-day kindergarten)
• Chief Author: HF 1798 (kindergarten classroom space)
• Enable our students to compete globally and live locally
• Chief Author: HF 409 (library and rural telecommunications access)
• Author: HF 493 (science, technology, engineering, & math program)
• Voted for: HF 6/2245 (Omnibus K-12 Education Finance bills)
• Reduce schools’ dependence upon local property taxes
• Author: HF 3 (School property tax levy reduction)
• Invest fully in early childhood education
• Author: HF 5 (ECFE, School Readiness, and Head Start)
• Author: HF 302 (early childhood education research)
• Author: HF 894 (Head Start funding)
• Author: HF 920 (child care programming)
• Voted for: HF 1056 (Omnibus early childhood education bill)
• Demand that Congress fund its special education mandate
• Author: HF 89/SF 13 (Resolution to Congress)
• Author: HF 977 (special education excess costs)
• Author: HF 1561 (early intervention reading program)
• Author: HF 1564 (special education maintenance of effort)
• Measure the individual academic growth of each child
• Author: HF 1680/2021 (Office of Educational Accountability)
• Invest properly in higher education
• Author: HF 162: Minnesota GI bill
• Author: HF 533 (veterans’ tuition assistance)
• Author: HF 937 (MSU-Mankato Trafton Hall funding)
• Voted for: HF 797/1063 (Omnibus Higher Education Finance bill)
• Partner with local trade organizations for “schools-to-skills” vocational education

Health Care

• Ensure affordable, accessible health care for all Minnesotans
• Author: HF 721 (nursing home funding)
• Author: HF 1590 (regional children’s mental health)
• Chief author: HF 2098 (Gaylord’s Lakeview Home pensions)
• Voted for: HF 297/1078 (Omnibus Health and Human Services bill)
• Restore access to MinnesotaCare for farmers, small business owners, and others
• Author: HF 276 (MinnesotaCare eligibility restored)
• Pursue a Leave No Child Uninsured plan
• Author: HF 1 (Children’s Health Security Act)
• Author: HF 634 (S-CHIP resolution to Congress)
• Strengthen a statewide prescription drug plan for seniors and the uninsured

Investing in Our Area’s Future: Jobs, Agriculture, and the Environment

• Increase and dedicate funding for outdoor habitats and wetlands
• Author: HF 1449 (natural resources and clean water dedicated funding)
• Author: HF 2285 (natural resources & cultural heritage dedicated funding)
• Voted for: HF 2410 (Omnibus Environment & Natural Resources bill)
• Voted for: HF 1418 (Omnibus Environment Policy bill)
• Voted for: HF 1021 (Omnibus Game, Fish & Forestry bill)
• Reduce property taxes, especially as they affect seniors and those on fixed incomes
• Author: HF 3 (school property tax levy reduction)
• Author: HF 101 (school levies on agricultural land reduction)
• Author: HF 839 (debt equalization on farms)
• Voted for: HF 2294 (Omnibus Income & Property Tax bill)
• Voted for: HF 3 (Omnibus Property Tax Relief bill)
• Promote state-sponsored research into renewable energy sources
• Chief author: HF 2248 (cellulosic ethanol research funding)
• Chief author: HF 1455 (rural Minnesota renewable energy)
• Chief author: HF 472 (renewable energy production credits)
• Author: HF 1654 (higher education energy research)
• Voted for: HF 436 (Omnibus Energy Policy Bill)
• Voted for: HF 1392 (Omnibus Energy Finance Bill)
• Pursue the 20% by 2020 initiative for renewable energy
• Author: HF 4 (renewable energy standard—25% by 2025)
• Encourage a labor-agriculture partnership in renewable energy
• Author: HF 589 (Reinvest in Minnesota biofuel research)
• Fix ‘the forgotten Highway 14’ and other roads in Nicollet and Sibley counties
• Chief author: HF 1119 (county road funding)
• Chief author: HF 1363 (Highway 14 funding)
• Author: HF 264 (Highway 14 funding)
• Author: HF 701 (Mankato MnDOT building)
• Commit to a clean, clear dedication of funding for Greater Minnesota’s roads
• Transportation Conference Committee
• Voted for: HF 946/562 (Omnibus Transportation Finance bill)
• Address 10-ton road needs and “post down” signage issues
• Chief Author: HF 1095 (10-ton roads and signs)
• Author: HF 562 (road signs)
• Review the effects of rising land prices upon local farmers
• Author: HF 484 (beginning farmer program)
• Author: HF 666 (dairy animal investment program)
• Author: HF 710 (sustainable agriculture support)
• Protect clean air, clean water, and clean habitats
• Chief author: HF 1143 (Minnesota River basin funding)
• Chief author: HF 471 (Lake Titlow clean up)
• Author: HF 374 (Bureau of Soil and Water Resources funding)
• Author: HF 375 (global warming mitigation act)
• Author: HF 551 (parks and trails)
• Author: HF 639 (automobile emissions standards)
• Author: HF 863 (California automobile emissions standards)
• Author: HF 948 (clean water legacy account)
• Author: HF 949 (Great Outdoors Council and clean water legacy)
• Author: HF 1017 (Lake Emily clean up)
• Author: HF 1382 (phosphorus in household dishwasher detergent)
• Restore the local government aid especially needed in rural Minnesota
• Voted for: HF 2362 (Omnibus Tax bill)

More information available at:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?district=23A