Minnesotans deserve to have a vote on this issue. Implementing right-to-work would be a no cost way to improve Minnesota’s business climate which would bring more investment into the state, more jobs, and perhaps higher incomes. The Minnesota legislature has the opportunity to put right-to work on the ballot this November as a constitutional amendment called the Employee Freedom Amendment. We encourage you to contact your state representatives and urge them to put it on the ballot this November and let Minnesotans have a say in this important matter

Rochester Post-Bulletin

Last year’s difficult session resulted in a government shutdown and an eventual agreement that wrought yet another short-term solution to our ongoing budget issues. The solutions included borrowing from our schools (causing a shift in payments), loans on future revenues through the sale of tobacco bonds (adding to future debt due to the huge interest due on these bonds), and cuts in services to citizens (especially impacting the elderly, poor, and disabled).

I’m hoping the New Year will bring a renewed sense of bipartisanship, cooperation and collaboration. There have been some hopeful signs and I always keep an open door to my colleagues when it comes to working on issues for the common good. Compromise should not be a dirty word, and I continue to believe that balanced, commonsense, bipartisan solutions that do what’s best for the people of Minnesota should be the norm, not the exception.

If the November forecast of an $876 million surplus — some good news indicating slow but steady increases in tax collections from improved job growth and wages, and savings from health care reforms — holds up through the February forecast, the legislature can focus on policy reforms and bonding, rather than emergency budgeting.

Historically, the primary focus of each even-year legislative session is prioritizing capital investment projects — more commonly known as bonding. The bonding bill amount is determined by a formula and the exact amount is generally negotiated within that framework. These projects should support state infrastructure or be of significant economic benefit of the state. They often include construction and repairs of roads and bridges, flood mitigation, buildings on college campuses, wastewater treatment plants, parks and trails, cultural and regional centers and more.

Our bi-annual investment in Minnesota’s infrastructure can be an essential part of sustaining and enhancing our economic recovery. Bonding helps small businesses and communities grow by building the long-term infrastructure needed to help businesses be successful in the future. In addition, bonding in the current economy is a good deal for Minnesota taxpayers. By getting projects in the pipeline early, we can take advantage of remarkably low interest rates, competitive bids, and get thousands of unemployed back on the job for the spring construction season.

It’s important to remember that bonding is a long-term strategic investment. There is a difference between borrowing for construction of long-lasting public facilities and borrowing to balance a budget deficit with tobacco bonds. Bonding for infrastructure is similar to a mortgage for your home. It is fiscally responsible to borrow for a long-term fixed asset at a low interest rate. This is different from putting your groceries, gas or monthly ongoing bills on a high interest credit card with no plan to pay the bill at month’s end — that drives up debt quickly.

High-value and high-return-on-investment projects that build and improve local infrastructure will enhance our standard of living and provide long-term economic benefits for Minnesotans. These are investments in the future of our state and ones well-worth making. I support the passage of a reasonable bonding bill and will work to make sure Rochester — one of the state’s economic engines — has its share of projects.

I continue to work on a number of bills, including one to set-up Lifetime Learning Accounts which are job and training focused. This would allow employees and employers to contribute money — and then receive a tax credit — toward an account designed for adult learning and retraining. With constant changes in the job market and new technological advances occurring rapidly, it may be just the life preserver adult workers need and could have used during the recession. The bill passed one committee last session, and I’m hopeful we can move this legislation forward in the coming months as it fits nicely with the governor’s Jobs Bill.

There are a number of local issues in the area of dental care and disability services that I hope will move ahead this year with bipartisan support. I continue to serve as co-chair of the Childhood Obesity Task Force and serve on the Small Business Caucus.

Other issues likely to receive attention during the next session include government reform, the Vikings Stadium, a variety of constitutional amendments, and redistricting.

As the session moves along, I welcome input on these or any other legislative issues. Thank you again for the honor of serving you in the legislature.

Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, represents District 29B in the Minnesota House.

One of our basic rights is the right to work at a job without having to join a union.This is the case in 22 states in this country. Unfortunately, that is not the case in Minnesota. In Minnesota if your place of employment votes to unionize the employees, EVERYONE must join the union. No choice, if you want to keep your job you must join the union.

Representative Drazkowski is introducing legislation in the 2012 session to bring “Employee Freedom” to the ballot in November as a vote for a Constitutional Amendment.

There seem seems to be enough support in the House, but we are a few votes short in the Senate.

The state senators need to hear from you, The People!  Find their numbers less we act now and make sure they hear from all of us, we may miss this unique opportunit. For more, click here.

Unless we act now and make sure they hear from all of us, we may miss this unique opportunity.

We are not alone!  The Freedom Club of Minnesota has made this their most important issues of the session. They have the funds to promote this but they need the feet on the ground and the activists to make sure this gets on the ballot in November!We need everyone!

Below is a link to some important information to share with the senator:
Employee Freedom Minnesota One Pager

As far as the constitutional amendment, the Council has no desire to weigh in on this issue and will not; we are a non-partisan group and we as a council plan to keep it that way.  The comments that the mayor made about this are his beliefs and not the city’s.

The Rochester Post Bulletin wrote an article on the Mayor’s comments here.  At the time of this posting there are 46 comments and not too many are supportive.

• Fiscal Responsibility
• Limited Government
• Free Markets