Sandra Masin's Blog

This has been quite a week at the Legislature.  Highlights include the  joint hearing  of the House Energy Committee with the Senate Environment and Energy Committee  on silica sand mining in southern Minnesota.  This is incredibly controversial because of the potential damage to the environment, residents’ health, infrastructure, and the impact on the tourism industry.

In my Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee, we passed the Patient Staffing bill.  This legislation recommends staffing  grids for nurses in hospitals based on information from relevant national organizations.  The next stop will be the Government Operations Committee.

On Thursday evening, Senator Carlson and I met with parents from Arc to discuss some of the issues regarding their children who have disabilities.  It is amazing to see  how these parents have adjusted their lives and homes to accommodate the needs of their children,  More importantly, we discussed what should be done to maximize the opportunities for the  children as they grow older.   

My sincere appreciation to all who attended the Town Hall Meeting that Senator Jim Carlson and I hosted on Saturday morning at the Wescott Library in Eagan.  Some of the discussion covered taxes on clothing and services, cameras at intersections,  and  hunting wolves.  This will be a great help as we start to hear bills.

I had the opportunity to watch the Metcalf Junior High School Chess Team in action on Saturday and Sunday.  They are participating in a tournament at the Crown Plaza in Saint Paul. The impressive feature of this event is that you will see people of all ages playing. The students at this school have a strong tradition of winning and have received numerous awards over the years. It was a pleasure meeting with the students, their families, and the coaches.  The dedication of all contributes to the remarkable achievements.  Coach Ribnick has been with this program for almost three decades.

Governor Dayton gave his State of the State Speech on February 6.  He recounted the past history of the state and the recent actions that contributed to the recession that we have endured.  He gave some details on the lack of investment that has been taking place in recent times and the resulting problems. 

He talked about the importance of investing in education and infrastructure.

He also talked about the necessity to address environmental issues.  He referred to Will Steger,  who was in the gallery, and his advocacy for conservation to protect our world.   

The governor stated there are two options to dealing with  problems,  ignore or lead.  Changes need to be made to move Minnesota forward, so he has put forth a plan to do that.  He said he is open to suggestions from everyone to improve upon his plan.   With that challenge, he has shown flexibility and a true commitment to do the best for Minnesota.

I had the privilege of attending a reception at the Governor’s Mansion on Wednesday evening.  Governor Dayton is hosting a series of receptions for all members of the legislature.   He is providing an informal atmosphere for the legislators to gather in small groups and socialize. It was a special evening in a special setting.

Governor Dayton released his budget  this week.  He met with members of the legislature on Tuesday afternoon to do an overview and take questions.  There are a number of bold proposals in his plan.  The Governor said this is the starting point point, not the end. While he is open to changes,  he expects there to be substitutions provided when there is a request for a deletion.  

The Governor’s proposal is essentially the first step in the budget process.  The next important step is the February Forecast.

The Presidential Inauguration ceremony was both impressive and inspiring.  It truly made one very proud to be an American.  The historical references in the speeches illustrated the activities and traditions that have been so important to the values that represent the character of America.  The songs and the poem were so very appropriate and moving.  From the comments about the statue of Freedom above the Capitol to the rendering of the National Anthem by Beyonce, the event served to remind us that, in spite of problems, our country has persevered and the leadership of the United States is transferred in a peaceful manner.

On Thursday, January 17, I had the rare privilege of watching the chandelier in the  rotunda  of the Minnesota State Capitol being raised and lit.  It was at the level of the second floor and was raised to the top of the dome in a matter of minutes.  The chandelier weighs over one ton and is decorated with over 38,000 crystal beads   The chandelier had been taken down while repair and improvements were made to the dome.

On January 8, 2013,  the 88th Minnesota House of Representatives convened.  This first meeting is mainly ceremonial and administrative.   The roll call and most of the votes taken require verbal responses.  Representative Paul Thissen was elected to be the  Speaker of the House.  Decisions on administrative staff, rules and other similar items are made so that the House is officially ready to work.  

That evening,  I attended a meeting that the Eagan City Council scheduled to meet their legislators and present their priorities.   The list included opposition to reinstating the Market Value Homestead Credit, funding for improvements for the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit, and modifications to data center legislation so that it allows for multi-tenants.

On Wednesday,  One Minnesota, the 2013 Legislative Policy Conference took place at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.   We were honored to have Walter Mondale and Gil Gutknecht give the introductory speeches.   There were excellent speakers on budgets, education, leadership, and other topics that will be addressed during this session.  

The annual event sponsored by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce took place that evening at the Xcel.    Highlights of their priorities were presented in a variety of formats. One point is to better align postsecondary offerings with employer needs/demands.  Another is reform fiscal systems to have long-term fiscal stability.

On Friday, the Association of Metropolitan School Districts sponsored an event that gave an overview of the education priorities.   That included strengthening education funding, closing the readiness gap with investments in early learning, and fixing special education funding.

Just finished DANGER SECTOR,  a mystery that was hard to put down.   The setting is off the coast of Maine and the main character is Brie Beaumont, a Minneapolis homicide detective.  Jenifer LeClair, the author, lives in Minnesota.

I am attending an environmental conference. The first speaker was Edward Mazria, the founder of Architecture 2030. He said a study showed that buildings consume 77% of the energy used. That being the case, he thought it was imperative that we start constructing buildings to be more energy efficient. The goal is 0% by 2030, ZNE (zero net energy).  For more information on this topic, look at www.architecture2030.org

Another speaker was a familiar personality, Don Shelby, a former reporter and news anchor in the Twin Cities. He has a passion for addressing global warming. Mr. Shelby stressed the waste that currently occurs because we are not combating this situation effectively. He illustrated this by talking about the energy efficient house that he built. During the extremely hot summer that we had this year, some people were paying close to $400 for utility bills because of the high use of air conditioners. With the technology used in his home, he had a $5 refund. He made a comment on strategy that I think we should all take to heart, “Protect the environment to protect the economy.”