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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you are having fun celebrating today, whether you are Irish or not! 😊
Thank you to everyone who joined my for my Coffee with Constituents events in Maple Grove and Maple Plain last week! I really appreciate the great questions and the opportunity to connect with so many of you. If you weren’t able to come in person, I still am always eager to hear from you! Reach out anytime by email or phone: Rep.Kristin.Robbins@house.mn.gov or 651-296-7806.
On Monday, the House and Senate had a joint session for Sovereignty Day. This was an opportunity for members to hear from all 11 of Minnesota's tribal leaders and better understand how tribal governments interact with the State. They shared key issues facing the tribes and their priorities for the legislative session.
On Monday I also attended the funeral of a good friend. If you or someone you know is dealing with mental health issues, you are not alone. There are so many people who want to help and resources available. Please reach out if you are struggling! You can always call or text 988 for crisis mental health support. More state resources and support from NAMI MN are linked here.
I hope this is our last cold weekend and that spring is just around the corner! Have a great weekend!
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Executive Summary
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Southwest Light Rail Audit Report
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Bill to Merge Hamel & Loretto Volunteer Firefighter Relief Associations’ Pensions
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Digital Wellbeing Rally
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Letter to DFL Leadership on SOB Renovation Update
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Closing the Midsession Shakedown Loophole
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Helpful Link
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Southwest Light Rail Audit Report
On Wednesday, the Legislative Auditor released their newest report: "Southwest Light Rail Transit Construction: Metropolitan Council Decision Making." The Legislative Auditor found that the Southwest LRT project has been grossly mismanaged and that the Metropolitan Council is not being an effective steward of public funds. They also reported the Met Council was not fully cooperative with the Audit process and was not forthcoming with either the legislature or the public. Some key findings from the report include:
- “The Metropolitan Council obligated itself to spend more money on Southwest LRT than the funds committed to the project.”
- “The Council did not hold its civil construction contractor accountable for failures to provide an acceptable project schedule.”
- “The Council has also not been fully transparent about the project’s delays and cost increases.”
The Auditor’s report reveals the Metropolitan Council has misled the public and the legislature from nearly the beginning. They knew that it would have substantial cost overruns, ignored warnings, and went ahead with the project anyway. The Legislative Auditor recommends that the Legislature “create a framework in which the government entity responsible for light rail transition construction also bears some financial responsibility for construction costs and any potential cost increases.”
I attended the briefing at the release of the report was stunned by the Met Council’s continued insistence that we must finish this project at any cost. This project is already 38% over budget and years behind schedule and they have no proposal for how to fund the remaining $384 million. When asked directly where they expect to get the money, no answer was given. Hennepin County and state taxpayers should not be forced to pay for this mismanagement.
You can read the full report here.
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Bill to Merge Hamel & Loretto Volunteer Firefighter Relief Associations’ Pensions
As many people in our community know, the Hamel and Loretto Fire Departments have been working toward a merger. As part of that process, the state needs to approve a bill that allows the Hamel Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association and the Loretto Firefighters Relief Association to join the State Volunteer Firefighter (SVF) Plan mid-year and merge the assets and liabilities of the two relief associations.
HF 2007/SF 1975 is being carried by Sen. Limmer and me. It was heard in the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement last evening. Chief Jeff Leuer and Nicole West of Loretto and Chief Jeff Ruchti and Luke Peterson of Hamel came to testify in support of the bill, which is essential to finalizing the merger.
The Committee seemed very pleased with how well the merger has gone and thanked the Chiefs, Nicole and Luke for their hard work. They also suggested that this could possibly be a model for similar mergers of volunteer relief associations throughout the state.
The bill was “laid over for inclusion” in the omnibus pension bill and we expect it will be included in the final version, which will likely pass sometime in May.
Sen. Limmer and I were very proud to have the Chiefs, Nicole, and Luke at the Capitol and appreciate the strong partnership to get this done!
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Digital Wellbeing Rally
Yesterday afternoon I spoke at a rally of parents and young people in support of digital wellbeing awareness and education. You can see my remarks here.
Through my work on the Stop Online Targeting Against (SOTA) Kids Act, HF 1503, I have learned a great deal about the toll that social media has on children's’ mental health. I support continued education for parents, teachers and kids on how to manage the stress and distractions created by so much time spent online. If you are interested in more information to help your kids navigate digital wellbeing, please check out the following resources:
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Letter to DFL Leadership on SOB Renovation Update
I joined House Republicans on Wednesday in sending a letter to Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Jamie Long requesting a status report on the renovation and expansion of the State Office Building (SOB). No information on the SOB renovations have been released to legislators or the public since the Rules committee approved funding in December 2022.
We called on Democrat leadership to create a “SOB Expansion Tracker” webpage on the Minnesota House of Representatives website to provide regular and easily accessible updates to the public.
This $500 million State Office Building is a waste of taxpayer money. The building does need some upgrades and a new HVAC system, but we do not need a brand new, half-billion dollar office building! The new Senate Office Building was exorbitant at $90 million. The DFL approved an “open” appropriation, so there is no check on construction cost over-runs. This project should be halted and a more reasonable remodel should be done.
You can read our letter here.
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Closing the Midsession Shakedown Loophole
Earlier this month, the Minnesota DFL Party attempted to hold a fundraiser in the middle of the legislative session for lobbyists and legislators. It is illegal for legislators to accept contributions from lobbyists during session, and yet the DFL Party was targeting lobbyists for an event featuring the Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate Majority Leader, including offering to bus them from the Capitol to the venue.
I joined Deputy Minority Leader Paul Torkelson and other Republican lawmakers at a press conference yesterday as he introduced his bill, HF 2790, to ban political parties from soliciting contributions during the legislative session. We attempted to declare an 'urgency' yesterday on the House floor to bring this bill immediately up for a vote, but Democrats refused to debate this bill.
The DFL Party cancelled the first event when it became public, but maintains it will be “rescheduled.” We should not allow lobbyists to be contributing money to the DFL party when bills they are pushing are under active consideration at the Capitol.
It is against the customs of the Minnesota legislature, and the spirit of current law, for the DFL to even attempt to host such an event during session. I am disappointed that the Majority did not act to close the loophole in current statute to ensure no such event could ever occur.
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Helpful Link
I-94 West Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Application 2023: The I-94 West Chamber of Commerce's scholarship application is now available to high school seniors in Albertville, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Corcoran, Dayton, Hanover, Maple Grove, Osseo, Otsego, Rogers, or St. Michael. I encourage all students to learn more and apply here.
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Photos
Thank you to Rockford Area Schools' leadership for visiting me at the Capitol! It was great hearing how we can best serve students, teachers, and parents in Minnesota.
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Please Contact Me
Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance. I’d also love to meet you if you are coming to the Capitol!
The best way to reach me is by email: rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn.gov. For occasional updates, you can follow my Facebook Page at @RepKristinRobbins. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked multiple times/week.
Have a great weekend!
Kristin
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239 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806 |
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