303 State Capitol 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155 www.senate.

mn/ senatorwiklund

Capitol UpdateMay 1, 2014

Highlights:
I serve on the following committees: Health, Human Services, and Housing, Education, E-12 Finance, State & Local Government Bonding bills require a 60% majority to pass in the legislature Im also working with Reps. Lenczewski and Slocum on legislation that will benefit Bloomington and Richfield

May 1, 2014

SD50 Bloomington, Richfield

Senate back in Session after Break

Following the Easter/Passover break, the Senate is back in session and hard at work. With a mandatory adjournment of May 19th, there is a lot of work to be done and less and less time to do it in. The Senate also passed a bill that makes modifications to the newborn screening process. I was a co-author of this bill. The changes made provide for keeping the newborn blood samples indefinitely (unless parents opt out), and will allow medical professionals to identify potential health issues farther in advance. This bill passed the Senate on April 23rd, with bipartisan support.

How to contact me at the Capitol: Phone: 651-297-8061 E-mail: sen.melissa.wiklund @senate.mn

In the time since the break, the Senate has passed several bills. Some have gone to the Governor for his signature, others are working out differences in conference committees. On April 23rd, the Senate passed the Womens Economic Security Act. This was a collection of nine bills establishing policies that address unique challenges that women face in the work place. I was proud to be an author of one provision and to vote for this bill that will be a great help to working women and families in Minnesota.

The Senate has also passed the E-12 Education Omnibus policy bill, a bill allowing for a GPS monitoring option for domestic violence offenders, and several bills as part of the Governors Unsession effort, some of which I was the author of. Conference committees continue working on bills, including the supplemental budget passed weeks ago.

We expect the Senate bonding bill proposal to be released this week or next. Once it is introduced, negotiations can begin in earnest, and an agreement reached. The bonding bill is the largest and most discussed bill still on the agenda this session, and Im eager to see what the final proposal looks like.

Rep. Linda Slocum (50A): 651-296-7158 rep.linda.slocum @house.mn Rep. Ann Lenczewski (50B): 651-296-4218 rep.ann.lenczewski @house.mn

Online Voter Registration

Last year, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie instituted an online system of voter registration in Minnesota. On April 28th, the Supreme Court struck down the system, stating that the Secretary of State lacked statutory authority to institute the system. Legislation was introduced by Sen. Katie Sieben to provide for this system. The bill passed the House, and the Senate, and was signed on the 29th. This online voter registration process will allow Minnesotans to continue using this system and easily register to vote. Stay in touch! My contact information, and the information for the House members from our district is on the left, please feel free to contact my office with any questions, comments, or concerns you might have. I work for you, and the more I hear from you, the better I can do so!

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Capitol Update May 1, 2014

Around the District

Mike Lynch is a WCCO radio personality and meteorologist and is a native of Richfield

The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota will be holding a two-day bicycle skills class on May 2nd and 3rd at Bryant Park in Bloomington. The Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield is hosting its Bird-A-Thon fundraiser on May 10th, at the Nature Center (6710 Lake Shore Dr, Richfield). May is Older Americans Month, and there are a number of events at Creekside Community Center (9801 Penn Ave S, Bloomington). One highlight will be a May 21st lunch with Mike Lynch. More information can be found through the City of Bloomington. Richfield Public Works is hosting an open house for information about the 66th Street Reconstruction on May 1st from 4:30-6:30pm at Wood Lake Nature Center.

The Bloomington Optimist Youth Organization Citywide Garage Sales will be held from May 29th-31st. For more information, call 952-831-3798. Richfield Citywide Garage Sales will be May 15th-17th. The deadline to register is Monday May 5th. For more information, contact the City of Richfield. Minnesota History: On April 30th, 1961, Harmon Killebrew hits his first home run with the Minnesota Twins, 467 feet.

Governor Dayton delivers State of the State

On April 30th, Governor Dayton delivered his 2014 State of the State address from the House chambers. Much of his speech was dedicating to reviewing some of the accomplishments we have made over the last year, including All-Day Kindergarten, increased education funding, and tuition freezes at the U of M and MnSCU colleges and universities. These are helping Minnesotans in substantive ways. The Governor also laid out his priorities for the rest of this session. Gov. Dayton advocated strongly for a larger bonding bill this year, citing the jobs that would be created, and many infrastructure requests that are of a very high priority. Gov. Dayton also discussed his goals for the future. In particular, he mentioned reforming student testing, and universal early childhood education. I look forward to hearing more about these priorities in coming weeks. Serving on the Senate Education policy and finance committees, Im especially interested in discussing ways we can best serve our students, and provide more opportunities for them to reach their potential.

Looking Ahead...
As the legislative session enters its final weeks, well be spending more time on the floor debating and passing bills. Some prominent bills include the Health and Human Services omnibus policy bill, which includes provisions that I authored, and the bonding bill. Discussions are always ongoing, and Im looking forward to continuing this important work. My office is always happy to discuss what were doing in St. Paul, so dont hesitate to contact us by phone, mail, or email. We always appreciate hearing from our neighbors in Bloomington and Richfield. If you can, I hope youll stop by the Capitol and say Hi!. Otherwise, Ill see you around town!

Sen. Wiklund consults with Sen. Katie Sieben