This week, I went to the Capitol to catch up on paper work and prepare for a speech to the American Red Cross. While there, my legislative assistant Jake let me know that the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V) generously presented a plaque for my work on restoring MAC-V’s funding.I am deeply grateful to executive director Kathy Vitalis and everyone at MAC-V. MAC-V provides services and shelter for Minnesota’s homeless veterans and others. You can find more information at www.mac-v.org
The Minnesota Business Aviation Association wants to thank you for your strong support. Your advice and insight played a key role in improving the future of business aviation in Minnesota, which as a direct positive impact upon our local and state economy. In addition, your ongoing support of legislation and amendments supporting business aviation laid the groundwork for a very successful 2009 legislative session. Your willingness to lobby your colleagues exceeded our members’ expectations.
University of Minnesota, Dean Trevor Ames
I wanted to personally thank you for your support of the Veterinary Loan Forgiveness bill, which passed into law this spring. Now, thanks to your efforts veterinarians can look forward to a future in large and food animal medicine in Minnesota with the extra burden of worrying about student loan payments.
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Thank you for your continued support of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) at the Department of Human Services. It is your support, and that of other legislators, that helped pass the legislative changes MSOP needed to be more efficient and effective. Your commitment to help pass the MSOP operations bill was outstanding. We appreciate you taking the extra time to talk to several Representatives during the process to obtain their support for the bill.
Minnesota Farmers Union
On behalf of the membership of the Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU), I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your leadership on key issues and committees this past legislative session. Specifically, MFU is thankful for your work on the Agriculture Policy Committee on issues such as Green Acres and for being a leader on rural transportation issues on the Transportation Committees.
Minnesota Private College Council
We want to thank you for your support of the Minnesota State Grant program this past legislative session and your leadership and commitment to providing access and choice for Minnesota’s low- and middle-income college students.
Long-Term Care Imperative
On behalf of long-term care providers throughout the state, we want to extend a heart-felt THANK YOU for your consistent and strong support of older adult services… While a simple note can never fully express our gratitude for your work on behalf of long term care providers, we could not let your hard work go unnoticed.
U.S. Highway 14 Partnership
Thank you for all of your efforts on behalf of the Highway 14 Partnership…your efforts to advance the bill were extremely helpful. I am confident we have sent a strong message that completing Highway 14 should be a priority for the state.
AAA Minnesota/Iowa
On behalf of AAA Minnesota/Iowa and the Child Passenger Restraint Coalition, I want to thank you…for your vote in favor of enhancing roadway safety for our youngest passengers.
First Judicial District, State of Minnesota
I wanted to express my appreciation for your hard work and dedication during this challenging legislative session and for your commitment to an effective, efficient justice system.
The Transportation Alliance
Thank you for your work this session in developing and passing the Omnibus Transportation Funding bill. On behalf of the members of the Minnesota Transportation Alliance, we appreciate the long hours you put in crafting legislation to address the needs as much as possible in the face of reduced revenue estimates.
Lutheran Social Services
I write to thank you for your contribution and leadership this session; thank you for advancing policy and budget choices that seek to strengthen our communities by preserving our safety nets and assuring the care of our most vulnerable.
ClearWay Minnesota
I am writing to thank you for your dedication to the health of Minnesotans
A guest commentary in the Free Press on Minnesota’s budget raised good points that I share. However, the governor’s letter asking legislators to suggest deeper cuts deserves inspection. The governor’s “request” was slipped under legislators’ doors two days after the legislative session ended and we had returned home. Many legislators never saw the letter. I found it and hand delivered a response.
Here’s my letter (with some changes for space and clarity reasons):
Dear Governor Pawlenty:
I write to respond to your request for assistance regarding the state budget and your decision to unallot. My concern with this request focuses primarily upon the sequence of events and the proper roles of the legislative and executive branches of government. For five months, the Legislature heard bills in committee, received public input, amended and debated these bills, and then sent the bills to you. The Legislature’s budget cuts in these bills exceeded your proposed budget cuts.
You signed the final versions of the budget bills, knowing the level of spending that they contained.
You knew that your $1 billion borrowing proposal was rejected in the House by a vote of 130-2. Since you signed the budget bills and as your borrowing proposal had been rejected, two recognized options to fixing the final $1 billion gap remained. You could sign the Legislature’s revenue bill with the same $1 billion or you could negotiate regarding different sources of new revenue. (more…)
Terry joined Senator Dennis Frederickson (New Ulm) in bringing forward a bill to help the Minnesota River Board reorganize. The MRB formed after former Governor Arne Carlson announced a goal in 1995 to make the Minnesota River Board “swimmable and fishable.”
As the Mankato Free Press reports today, MnDOT has agreed to complete the environmental impact studies (EIS) for the remaining portions of Highway 14, including the stretch between North Mankato and New Ulm. This agreement follows Terry’s sponsorship of legislation this year to move the Highway 14 improvement process along.
By completing the EIS in 2010 from North Mankato to New Ulm, MnDOT will then be able to purchase right-of-way and undertake design and engineering planning. This step also improves the chances that the project can receive federal transportation funding.
Terry worked closely with the U.S. Highway 14 Partnership, led by North Mankato mayor Gary Zellmer, in passing this bill and securing MnDOT’s agreement.
In 2009, I focused upon negotiating a balanced budget, effectively using federal recovery act (stimulus) funds, and moving forward a set of legislative goals. Below, I list each bill (House File) that I introduced this year and the bill’s status as the session ended. More information can be found at
HF 2400: Ag property tax credit for pork producers hurt by flu outbreak
The flu outbreak took hold after bill submission deadline. Senator Sheran and I will continue working with MN Pork Producers and others this summer to figure out the best ways to help our area’s pork producers.
HF 2137: Disabled veteran groups allowed to solicit donations
This bill allows the Disabled American Veterans organization to continue calling folks to ask for clothing and other nonmonetary donations. I amended this bill’s language into a Commerce Committee bill, which became law.
HF 2003: Greater MN bus transit cash-flow schedule revised
This bill smooths out MnDOT’s payments to Greater MN bus transit operations, including Sibley County’s Trailblazer. The bill passed as part of the Transportation Finance Omnibus bill and was signed into law. In addition, I worked to secure over $2 million in short-term cash-flow funds to help 22 transit organizations continue operations through June 30.
HF 1816: MnDOT road and bridge provisions modified
This large bill created with MnDOT addressed a number of issues, including road weight limits throughout Minnesota (an important provision for our farmers and county engineers). The bill became law.
HF 1799: Minnesota Valley rail line (Mankato-Twin Cities) authorized
I introduced this bill to ensure that this rail corridor would be included in the State Rail Plan process. I am a member of the State Rail Plan group. At the most recent meeting last week, the Mankato-Twin Cities route was part of the presentation. The State Rail Plan will offer significant guidance on how Minnesota’s rail system should be developed—this is a much better process than having the legislature attempt to design the system.
HF 1693: Highway 14 environmental impact studies to be completed
This bill directed MnDOT to complete the EIS for the New Ulm-North Mankato and Dodge Center sections. EIS completion is a prerequisite to purchasing right-of-way and planning for highway expansion. The bill was included in the Transportation Policy Omnibus bill that Governor Pawlenty vetoed. I have worked with MnDOT and the U.S. Highway 14 Partnership on an agreement that achieves the bill’s objectives. (more…)
