Monday, October 8, 2012
Two House races and a Senate race will be on the ballot this November.
With the Nov. 6 election fast approaching, Patch wants to give you the chance to pose a question to the District 46 candidates. In the Senate District 46 race, incumbent Sen. Ron Latz (DFL) is taking on Republican challenger Paul Scofield. There are two local House races—in 46A, Democratic incumbent Rep. Ryan Winkler faces Republican John Swanson, and incumbent Rep. Steve Simon (DFL) takes on Republican challenger David Arvidson in 46B. In the comments below, we welcome you to post your questions. If you'd like to just question one particular candidate, please note that. Otherwise, we'll assume all questions are intended for all the candidates. Please keep questions civil and respectful. We'll gather some of the best questions we receive …
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
At a Tuesday night forum, local politicians said more funding needs to go to districts.
Local DFLers are making one thing clear—if they're elected into office this November, they will push to get more money to schools. At a Tuesday night forum in Hopkins, House members John Benson (District 43B), Steve Simon (44A) and Ryan Winkler (44B), along with candidates Yvonne Selcer (48A) and Paul Rosenthal (49B) said shifting funding back to school districts after last year's shutdown diverted money is a primary goal this session. "To me, the state's responsibility (to funding education) has been woefully lacking," Benson said. The deal that ended the two-week government shutdown in July 2011 included delaying $700 million in K-12 payments statewide. Winkler said that if he wins his reelection campaign against John Swanson, he'll …
Thursday, September 13, 2012
The project was scored poorly by the Department of Employment and Economic Development but still received some funding Thursday.
Gov. Mark Dayton on Thursday approved $2 million in grant funding for Southwest Light Rail, just days after the project received a low score from the state's economic development department. Dayton approved a total of $47.5 million in grants, with the largest chunk—$25 million—going to a new St. Paul Saints ballpark, the Star Tribune reports. On Tuesday, local leaders criticized the state Department of Employment and Economic Development for giving SW LRT the lowest score among the 37 projects that applied for grant funding. "Someone at DEED should be fired if they think a Saints Ballpark creates more jobs or has a bigger regional impact than a new LRT line," Rep. Ryan Winkler wrote on Twitter. However, the governor had final say over the …
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The local state senator was a sponsor of the bill.
Local legislators Sen. Ron Latz and Rep. Ryan Winkler were the sponsors of bridge collapse victim compensation bills in the Senate and House, respectively. Then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed the legislation into law on May 8, 2008, which allocated $37 million to 179 people. Now, five years after the collapse, Latz offered his reflections: The most important reflection is the human loss that endures today mostly for the families who lost loved ones and for those who survived the collapse and will live forever with the physical and psychological impact of it. Second, it is a reminder that failing to adequately fund infrastructure has consequences – when we make budget cuts there are real impacts on services like inspection frequency and repairs…
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The plan passed by a 38-28 margin late Tuesday.
Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) joined 37 other senators in passing a Vikings stadium bill late Tuesday. With the 38-28 vote, the plan will now head to a House-Senate conference committee so differences can be ironed out. The Star Tribune reports that both the House and Senate bumped up the amount the Vikings would pay—the House to $532 million, the Senate to $452. The team has proposed $427 million. In addition to changing the state's overall contribution, the Senate also tweaked how that money would be raised, adding a series of user fees on things like tickets and parking that would supplement money raised from expanded gambling, the Star Tribune notes. The conference committee will be responsible for reconciling the two bills and …
Monday, May 7, 2012
The state representative added the plan is not without its flaws, however.
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Monday, May 7, 2012
Editor's Note: The following letter was sent to constituents by Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-District 44B). Dear Neighbors and Friends, Minnesota’s economy remains slow, and too many of our citizens are still looking for jobs and cannot find them. We have an immediate jobs shortage, and we must take action to create a broadly prosperous state for our children and grandchildren. Yet state government has been incapable of providing even short-term solutions, much less embracing a vision for economic success. The current Vikings stadium debate is a vivid demonstration of our inability to set the right priorities for our state. Building a Vikings stadium will not produce long-term economic growth. Every independent economic analysis shows that …
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The local legislators voted against a bill that would have renovated the state Capitol.
- OPINION
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Thursday, April 19, 2012
Editor's Note: The following is a joint press release from DFL Reps. Ryan Winkler and Steve Simon. The two voted against a proposal today that would have allocated $221 million for Capitol building improvements. The plan ultimately failed. Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives rejected a $220 million bonding bill that funded the restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol instead of important economic infrastructure projects throughout Minnesota. Rep. Steve Simon (DFL – St. Louis Park) and Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL – Hopkins) voted against the bill. Rep. Winkler says the bill doesn’t provide the statewide and regional investments that Minnesota needs. “Minnesota needs a comprehensive bill that invests in Minnesota’s statewide …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
A stadium bill failed in a House committee on Monday.
After a Vikings stadium bill failed in a House committee on Monday—a move that leaves the plan in "peril," the Star Tribune reported—an advocacy group is urging people to contact legislators, including two from Senate District 44 that voted against the bill. SaveTheVikes.org states that the setback could potentially send the team packing to Los Angeles. The group is asking people to contact the nine legislators in the House Government Operations and Elections Committee who voted against the plan. Senate District 44 DFLers Ryan Winkler and Steve Simon were among the "no" votes. Winkler questioned the value of the plan for the state. "How do we know we're getting a good deal?" he was quoted as saying by the Pioneer Press. "Are we subsidizing…
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The question will be headed to November's ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment.
On Monday, Gov. Mark Dayton symbolically vetoed the bill that will ask Minnesota voters whether photo IDs should be required at polling places. Dayton acknowledged his action won't stop the amendment from appearing on the general election ballot in November, because a constitutional amendment doesn't require his signature. "This amendment is a proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing," Dayton wrote in a letter to Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove). The amendment "goes far beyond its stated intention to require Photo ID's. Instead, it dismantles Minnesota's Best-in-the-Nation election system" by ending same-day voter registration and requiring new system of provisional ballots, Dayton wrote, adding that it "would severely …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Voters will weigh in on the constitutional amendment in November.
This November, Minnesota voters will decide whether photo IDs should be required the next time they go to the polls. The Senate, by a 35-29 vote, passed a bill on Wednesday afternoon that will send the question to the ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment. The House passed the same bill early Wednesday. Because it is a proposed constitutional amendment, Gov. Mark Dayton will not get a chance to approve—or veto—the bill. Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) voted against the measure. The issue has divided the Legislature on party lines, with Republican supporters saying it would add integrity to Minnesota's election system, while Democratic opponents say the measure is unnecessary and could disenfranchise some voters. Senate District 44 …
Pam Rykken
4:41 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
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