Minnesota State Legislature

Lake City leaders present to House bonding committee

Sep 7, 2017

Lake City leaders earned praise from members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Capital Investment Committee Tuesday. Committee members visited the city Tuesday on a bus tour that included stops at area projects vying for state bonding funds in 2018, including the ski jump at Mt. Frontenac...

Rep. Haley: 2017 session was historically productive

Jun 22, 2017

Earlier this month, Gov. Mark Dayton signed the budget into law, putting an official end to the 2017 Legislative Session. I spent the following two weeks hosting multiple town halls throughout our district, providing detail and answering questions regarding the results of this session. I heard...

Letter: When it comes to education, rep can't have it both ways

Jun 8, 2017

To the editor: I am grateful to have had an opportunity to meet with Rep. Barb Haley and Sen. Mike Goggin at a post session wrap-up meeting on a Tuesday evening in Red Wing recently. While I understand that working in the political system requires negotiating and compromise, I am particularly...

Local tobacco control advocates push 'bold public policies'

Jun 8, 2017

Legislation that would decrease youth smoking by raising the sales age for tobacco products to 21 was introduced at the Capitol during the session that just ended. Earlier in the legislative session, local youth health advocates met with Rep. Barb Haley to discuss the benefits of raising the age...

Public Works Director: Goodhue County's roads under-funded by millions

May 31, 2017

Goodhue County Public Works Director Greg Isakson informed the Board that if Goodhue County were to rebuild all its roads when they are 50 years old, based on what they’ve been doing for the last five years, the county would be underfunding its program by the tune of $10 million. If Goodhue County...

Drazkowski: State budget includes 'significant tax relief'

May 31, 2017

The 2017 Legislative Session is now in the books, and the highlight to me is the tax cuts that will benefit many middle class Minnesotans. The $650 million tax relief proposal is the largest tax cut plan approved in the past 20 years. We enacted much of what we’ve been working on for most of the...

Letter: Local cancer fighters lobby for palliative care access

Apr 13, 2017

To the editor: We recently traveled to St. Paul to participate in the American Cancer Society (ACS) Cancer Action Network’s (CAN) Day at the Capitol, where we met with our local lawmakers to talk about the issues important to our community. ACS CAN is working on several initiatives at the Capitol...

Letter: Feedlot bill fails the test

Apr 13, 2017

To the editor: Why is it that when our elected officials end up in St. Paul they forget what is important to their rural constituents—the rural family farmers who feed us, who work hard to care for their families, who care for the soil and our healthy future? The Senate Omnibus Environment Finance...

Rep. Haley: Worker shortage must be addressed

Mar 16, 2017

It has been a very productive first few months of the 2017 legislative session. With the news of an increased budget surplus, now totaling $1.65 billion, the Speaker of the House and committee chairs have begun to craft the budget. In addition to continued work on health insurance reform, we are...

Hearth and Home unveils $1.5 million product design and engineering lab

Mar 2, 2017

Hearth and Home Technologies in Lake City celebrated the opening of its new product design and engineering lab with a ribbon cutting ceremony Feb. 24. The $1.5 million lab occupies 20,000 feet of former warehouse space in the company’s building on the corner of 10th Street and Monroe Street in...