Here’s a brief listing of just some of Terry’s work—a complete list can be found on his legislative website:
Working Hard with Local Farmers and Businesses
Helped create temporary lien relief for struggling farmers
Assisted Lafayette farmers in successful state PUC hearing
Helped develop streamlined permitting process for farmers
Helped secure significant federal pork purchase to stabilize market and provide food for schools
Revised process for consumers, businesses and others to resolve disputes without going to court
Created financing district for North Mankato Marigold project
Helped secure significant federal pork purchase for schools and others in the fall 2009 to help stabilize pork prices
Worked with Greater Mankato Growth to survey small business owners and work on job creation/economic proposals (including successful Angel Investor tax credit)
Created ‘Minnesota First’ bonds, enabling Minnesotans to invest in Minnesota
Improved seasonal road weight restrictions
Building Minnesota’s Roads, Bridges and Rail
Secured $6.5 million to replace aging rail track along Minnesota Prairie Line through Sibley County
Ensured 2010 environmental study completion for Highway 14
Wrote successful Greater Minnesota Transit Plan
Included Mankato-Twin Cities passenger rail service as part of state rail plan
Worked with MnDOT to speed up road projects by six years and create jobs
Secured $35 million for Greater Minnesota economic development road projects
Helped Greater Minnesota public transit operators fix cash-flow crisis
Helping Our Students and Our Veterans
Proposed substantial reform and funding package for K-12 schools
Focused on protecting college State Grant program
Helped provide health care for 23,000 Minnesota children
Helped Disabled American Veterans raise funds for programs
Developed Morrow Teacher Fellowship program
Secured $750,000 for Minnesota homeless veterans programs
Upgraded school bus accident procedures
Getting the Hard Work Done
Passed a balanced state budget every year
Finished the legislative session on or before the last Monday of the session
Wrote several laws tightening the state’s sex offender program
Enhanced security at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center
Now that the 2010 legislative session is over, here’s a recap on the successful efforts to replace track along the publicly-owned Minnesota Prairie Line since Terry Morrow’s election to the House of Representatives:
FORT RIDGELY STATE PARK - District 23A Rep. Terry Morrow told The Journal Friday that there is a chance the 2010 Omnibus Bonding Bill that includes a $700K office consolidation and and septic system upgrade project at Fort Ridgely State Park could be revised from its original form.
State Representative Terry Morrow passed several additional bills this week that local constituents proposed. These bills included temporary lien relief for struggling farmers, a ban on indemnification agreements in the trucking industry, PSEO textbook return, enhanced road funding, and a land transaction at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center. Each bill passed with substantial bipartisan support.
I am grateful to folks in our area who work with me to create and pass meaningful legislation. It’s wonderful to represent an area with such great experience and willingness to help.
The Minnesota Pork Producers and local hog farmers contacted Representative Morrow to discuss a bill (House File 2889) to help farmers who enter loan mediation. Representative Morrow worked with Representative Al Juhnke to introduce the bill, which creates “a livestock production input lien to a person who supplies inputs (i.e., feed or labor) to a farmer during the 30 days following the farmer’s request to enter mediation with one or more creditors under the state’s Farmer-Lender Mediation Act.”
Representative Morrow’s bill to ban indemnification agreements between truckers and shippers (House File 3117) emerged from discussions with Allen Bartels and Bartels Truck Line in Winthrop. Seventeen other states prohibit these agreements, which insulate shippers from liability, even when damage results from their negligence.
The Bookmark at Gustavus Adolphus College contacted Representative Morrow to inform him that PSEO students who do not return their books following the class were not obligated to pay for the texts. House File 2426 would allow bookstores to request that PSEO students pay for unreturned textbooks. The state estimates that this bill would save the state $60,000 each year.
City officials in North Mankato and St. Peter worked with Representative Morrow to advocate for road construction funding tied to economic development and for a project near the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center respectively.
The 2010 session has demonstrated that diligent constituent contact can bring good ideas to the Capitol. I am very grateful to the farmers, businesses, and individuals who work with me to help our state.
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