Sen. Johnson: “The Legislature IS in Session”

02/10/2005

Sen. Dean JOhnson

The 2005 legislative session convened on January 4th, and based on the
actions of at least one of the legislative bodies, leaders are serious
about the state making significant progress this year.  Members of the
Senate heard November’s election message loud and clear- Get The Job
Done!  Minnesotans want progress, not partisan gridlock.

In the Senate, we laid out an aggressive agenda for the first month of
work.  We are proud to report to the public the first stage of that
commitment has been fulfilled, and we intend to build on this success.

The full Senate has already passed six major pieces of legislation-
ALL with bipartisan support.

Most significantly, on an overwhelming vote of 57-7, the Senate passed
a comprehensive and balanced bonding bill that funds the state’s
infrastructure relating to higher education buildings, environmental
improvements, roads, and bridges.  It is no secret the state needs to
make these critical investments for Minnesota to succeed in both
public and private business.  We have encouraged the House to act quickly on
a bonding bill so that the Governor can sign the bill into law and
projects can begin planning for spring construction.

The Senate also passed legislation requiring additional use of ethanol
blended fuel, which creates rural economic development, supports our
farming industry, provides alternative energy options and decreases
our support of foreign oil.

In continued bipartisan fashion, the Senate passed an incremental
minimum wage increase for our state’s lowest paid employees.
Enactment of this measure would produce immediate stimulation to our
state’s economy as these employees spend their wages on urgent family
purchases.

The Senate also passed three other important bills- a funding
deficiency bill aimed at crime prevention efforts, a tsunami donation
tax deduction bill, and a bill which would require inflation to be
included in state spending forecasts, which is the fiscally
responsible manner to present and forecast budgets.

Finally, we have confirmed several of the Governor’s cabinet
appointments, including his Commissioners of Education, Public Safety
and Administration.

As your elected officials, we will continue our efforts by holding
hearings on the Governor’s budget proposal.  In the coming weeks, we
will forward additional legislation to properly fund our education
system, address the methamphetamine epidemic, make family health care
more affordable, and increase criminal penalties on sexual predators.

The Senate’s immediate political progress is significant and
noteworthy.  Senate Minority Leader Dick Day and his caucus should be
commended for their productive dialogue and cooperative spirit thus
far.

The public knows that the ideals of progress and compromise are not
limited to one political party, and that only through collective
efforts will we find acceptable solutions.

In a bipartisan basis, the Senate has set a positive tone for the 2005
legislative session that should make citizens proud.  It is a tone of
civil discourse and positive outcomes aimed at improving our state and
local communities.