Volume 2, Number 9 May 9, 2014

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Melisa Franzen
Week in Review
Photo of the Week
Senator Franzen and Representative Erhardt meet
with Edina Family Center Parents and Children on
Monday
Greetings,
With less than two weeks to go in the 2014 Legisla-
tive Session, we continue our work this week to
shape the remaining pieces of Minnesotas projected
$1.2 billion surplus and reach an agreement on this
years bonding bill.
The target figures for the remaining budget surplus
include $293 million for a supplemental budget bill,
$103 million for a second tax cut bill (on top of the
$447 million in tax relief already signed into law), and
$200 million as a General Fund appropriation to aug-
ment the bonding bill. Additionally, the legislature and
the Governor have already approved a $150 million
increase to the budget reserve to protect the states
fiscal future. (See table on next page)
On top of the $200 million in bonding cash, the Sen-
ate released details of its $846 million bonding bill on
May 5. The Senate held hearings on the proposal this
week, working to achieve the bipartisan three-fifth
majority approval required to pass a bonding bill to
the Governor.
As Session nears its conclusion, we are putting in long
hours to finalize a package of tax cuts and key invest-
ments to help Minnesota workers and businesses
thrive.

Sincerely,
Around the District
Happy Mothers Day! Sunday will be a day to recognize and honor the
women in our lives. Thank you, mothers, for all of your hard and dedicated
work each and every day!

Celebrate Mothers Day this Sunday at Minnehaha Grange Hall in Edina. The
event will include refreshments, music, crafts, and games for families. The
open house will go from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Congratulations to Jamie Alsleben! Jamie is a sixth grade teacher at Eden
Prairies Cedar Ridge Elementary School. He was named the Air Force Associa-
tion Teacher of the Year for his innovative work in the classroom encouraging
his students to use technology, stay updated on the news, and interact with
peers. Thank you for your dedication to our children!

Thanks @HungerSolutions for your kind rec-
ognition of our collaborative efforts to end
hunger in MN. pic.twitter.com/76GfBars9y
Tweet of the Week
Highlight
I joined several Minnesota Senators and Representatives for an
inaugural tour on the new Green Line Light Rail Transit. The
Green Line travels between the downtown areas of Minneapolis
and St. Paul and will open to the public on June 14. It is exciting
to see this light rail project nearing completion and I am antici-
pating the completion of our own Southwest LRT project in
2018!
Around the Capitol

The Womens Economic Security Act passed the Senate Floor on
Thursday with a 43-24 vote, a major victory for all workers and
families in Minnesota. The omnibus bill provides equal employment
opportunities and pay for women. The collection of legislation seeks
various policy changes that include:
Requiring businesses with 40 or more employees bidding on state con-
tacts over $500,000 to obtain an equal pay certificate to ensure
women are paid the same as men for positions of similar value;
Funding a study to determine the feasibility of creating state-
administered retirement savings plan for private employees not offered
pensions by their employers;
Extending pregnancy and parental leave;
Protecting women from workplace discrimination and domestic vio-
lence;
Encouraging women to enter nontraditional and high-wage jobs;
And increasing accommodations for nursing mothers in the workplace.

The Senate passed legislation to legalize the use of cannabis for
medical purposes on Tuesday by a vote of 48-18, with broad bi-
partisan support. The bill would allow people suffering from condi-
tions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, glaucoma, and intractable
pain to obtain up to 2.5 ounces at a time of medical cannabis with
their doctors recommendation. The bill seeks to balance access with
strong measures to ensure limitations and safeguards. Some of those
elements include limiting the number of locations where cannabis
can be obtained, a multitude of provisions to prevent any diversion
of marijuana for non-medical purposes, and strong sanctions should
anyone fail to follow the rules. With these changes, the bill now has
some of the tightest requirement in the country for prescribing, li-
censing, and dispensing medicinal marijuana. (S.F. 1641)
The e-cigarette regulation legislation attempts to create regula-
tions that allow the use of e-cigarette products without asking the
public to share the possible health risks of the devices. If signed into
law, the new language would treat e-cigarettes the same as tobacco
and in turn ban smoking them in the same places cigarettes are
banned. The bill also prohibits the use of these devices in schools;
allows local units of governments to require a tobacco license for
businesses to sell the devices, and keeps the products behind the
counter at retailers just as other tobacco products are now. The bill
also adds tobacco-related devices and electronic delivery devices to
the list of tobacco products that are prohibited to be sold to minors.
The same criminal penalties would apply as if someone had sold
them any other tobacco product already prohibited under law.
Note: The legislatures plan leaves a budgetary balance of more than
$600 million in FY 2016-17.