Rep. Norton: Newsletter Update
05/04/2007
Dear Neighbors,
With only a few weeks left until the end of the 2007 legislative session on May 21, the culmination of five months of hard work is moving through the final phases of the legislative process. Conference committees are in full swing. The large finance bills passed recently on the House floor are now being negotiated with the Senate before they are sent to the Governor for final approval.
In the coming weeks we will continue meeting on the House floor voting on conference reports and moving yet more bills through the legislative process. While much has been accomplished since January, there is still a lot of work to be done in the final days of session.
With that in mind, I encourage you to continue contacting me with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have on any piece of legislation. As I've said before, your input and participation in the legislative process is essential to its success, and extremely helpful to me in the work I am doing on behalf of our community at the Capitol. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Kim Norton State Representative
CONSTITUENT MEETINGS Second Saturday of every month February - May
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Dunn Brothers Coffee
120 Elton Hills Drive NW, Rochester
FREEDOM TO BREATHE ACT PASSES HOUSE - HF305 The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that cigarette smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke results annually in approximately 440,000 premature deaths in the United States, 5.5 million years of potential life lost, and $92 billion in productivity losses. The dangers associated with second-hand smoke have compelled the state Legislature to consider statewide smoke free workplace legislation this session in the interest of preserving the health of all employees in Minnesota.
After several hours of debate on the House floor, the House passed the Freedom to Breathe Act recently by a vote of 85 to 45. The Senate passed its version 41-24 some time ago. If signed into law by the Governor, the legislation protects employees and the public from second-hand smoke.
In the interest of achieving and sustaining a more healthy society and preventing needless illness and deaths, the majority of Minnesotans want to see this legislation become law. A survey conducted in December of 2006 by the American Cancer Society and Clear Way Minnesota showed that
69 percent of Minnesotans support a statewide smoking ban that includes bars and restaurants.
I had a significant number of constituents contact me about this legislation, the majority in support, and a survey of residents in my district showed 74% support for such a plan of those responding. I was glad to represent the viewpoint of the vast majority of my constituents on this issue in co-authoring and voting for the bill.
Smoking has already been prohibited in restaurants across Olmsted County and the new, more comprehensive ordinance that includes bars, takes effect June 1st. Statewide smoke-free legislation will make certain that all bars, restaurants, and other establishments are on a level playing field. Additionally, this policy may serve to improve health and lower heath care costs across the state.
The bill will now go to conference committee where members of the House and Senate will iron out the details between the two versions of the legislation. I have been appointed to serve on this conference committee by Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson-Kelliher. The committee is scheduled to begin meeting sometime this week.
I feel honored to have been chosen to play such a key role in this important work. This is a bill whose time has come. I am looking forward to the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues in the House and Senate to craft a fair and effective final proposal that will ultimately be in the best interest of our state.
Governor Pawlenty has indicated he will sign the legislation into law when the final version of the bill arrives at his desk.
LEGISLATIVE SURVEY RESULTS Several weeks ago, I distributed a legislative survey to our community. The survey consisted of questions I had for constituents concerning key issues being discussed at the Capitol this session.
Results of the survey have now been compiled and have been attached to this email. ( Click here to view in Adobe Acrobat format). The information provided by the legislative survey combined with the high volume of constituent contact I have received throughout the session has been instrumental in helping me make important decisions for our community this session.
As a legislator I take very seriously the opinions of my constituents in the work I do at the Capitol. I consider it my responsibility to be aware of and responsive to the voices within our community. For that reason, I want to thank those of you who have contacted me throughout the session by filling out the legislative survey, calling, emailing, or visiting me at the Capitol. I encourage you to continue contacting me with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you have regarding property taxes or any other topic.
STAY INFORMED Along with these updates, another great way stay informed is to read the non-partisan magazines of the House and Senate. The House publication, Session Weekly, can be found online at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/swmain.asp. You can sign up to receive a hard copy delivered by mail to your home at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/subscribesw.asp. Over in the Senate, Senate Briefly can be found at http://www.senate.mn/briefly/.
You can also watch House floor sessions at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp.
You can sign up for email updates on specific bills at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/leg/billsublogin.asp. And you can sign up for email updates on specific committees at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/maillist/mailinglist.asp.
Kim Norton
House of Representatives-29B