Hopkins Legislators Lay Out Goals for 2012 Session

(UPDATED: 2:54 p.m. Jan. 24) Hopkins is represented by two people in the state Legislature: Sen. Ron Latz and Rep. Steve Simon.

Hopkins Patch asked these legislators to name their proudest accomplishments in office and what they want to accomplish in this year’s legislative session.

Find out their answers, and more about their backgrounds, below.

***

Sen. Ron Latz

Party: DFL

District: Senate District 44

Elected: to the House in 2002 and re-elected in 2004; to the Senate in 2006 and re-elected in 2010

Committees: Higher education, Judiciary and Public Safety (ranking member)

Occupation: Attorney

Education: BA, University of Wisconsin-Madison; JD, Harvard Law School

Home: St. Louis Park

Age: 48

Family: Julia Shmidov Latz and three children

Proudest accomplishments in office:

• Passage of Freedom to Breathe Act: Proud to have authored and supported the Freedom to Breathe Act (smoking ban) that protects the health of our workers and cuts health care costs in our state. Was chief author of the legislation as a House member and was a Senate co-author of the legislation that expanded Minnesota’s Clean Indoor Air Act and bans smoking in all bars, restaurants and bingo halls.
• 35W Bridge Collapse Survivor Compensation: Worked with bridge survivors, legislative colleagues, state agencies and legal authorities in the days and months immediately following the collapse to create a $38 million compensation fund that allowed victims to receive up to $400,000 each.  It also created a supplemental account for anyone with extraordinary uncompensated medical expenses, long-term health costs and lost wages.
• The False Claims Act: This legislation will help recover millions of taxpayer dollars stolen by those who knowingly submit false bills to the government. The law is a state counterpart to the federal law which has been in effect since President Lincoln proposed it during the Civil War. The federal government and other states have recaptured hundreds of millions of dollars this way
• Consumer Protection Legislation 
  • Hannah Montana Bill: Legislation that banned use of software that allows ticket brokers to buy large amounts of concert tickets and then re-sell them for inflated prices. Bill passed and signed into law.
  • Debt Protection Bill: Legislation to provide safeguards to Minnesotans against companies that buy consumer debt and use harsh tactics to collect on money owed.

Priorities:

• My key priorities for 2012 are to continue to focus on policies to bolster Minnesota’s economy and create jobs, which includes passage of a reasonable bonding bill. In particular, I will work closely with Governor Dayton to secure $25 million in funding for the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Transit.
• I also will work to oppose the conservative, moral agenda pushed by the GOP majorities reflected in the almost unending barrage of constitutional amendments, which bypass representative democracy and our executive/legislative form of government. I feel our focus this session should be on getting Minnesotans back to work, not forcing a far-right agenda designed to muck up the fall election ballot and our Constitution. 
• In addition, I plan to introduce legislation that will stiffen elder/vulnerable adult abuse penalties. We need to respect our elderly as they advance to their twilight years and to ensure our vulnerable adults are adequately cared for. Our current laws do not adequately penalize those who cause elder and vulnerable adult abuse.
• In my role as lead Democrat, I also intend to be the moderate voice on the Senate’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. The committee deals with consumer protection, criminal, civil issues and family court issues. This past session we debated the Marriage Amendment and the 'Shoot-First' bill, both bills that I strongly opposed. As your state senator, I pledge to be the voice of reason and challenge legislation and ideas that are far-right and that do not reflect the views of our district or the state of Minnesota.
• Finally, as a member of the Senate’s Higher Education Committee, I am committed to ensuring that a college degree remains affordable for Minnesota students and their families. I strongly opposed the huge cuts the GOP majorities made to higher education this year, and will again be the voice of reason on this crucial committee.

Rep. Steve Simon

Party: DFL

District: House District 44A

Elected: 2004

Committees: Civil Law, Data Practices Subcommittee, Government Operations and Elections, State Government Finance

Occupation: Attorney

Education: B.A., political science, Tufts University; J.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Home: St. Louis Park

Age: 42

Family: Wife, Leia Simon

Proudest accomplishments in office:

• The False Claims Act:  I wrote the law (with Senator Latz) that provides financial incentives to people who report contractors that knowingly defraud the state (as by over-billing or non-performance of contracts).  Based on the experience of other states with similar laws, Minnesota could recover hundreds of millions of dollars from wrongdoers.   
• Strengthening consumer protection: I've changed Minnesota law in several places to give consumers and small businesses more tools to pursue scam-artists who perpetrate fraud by telephone, on-line, or in writing.   
• Protecting crime victims: I've changed the law so that domestic violence victims can more easily escape their abusers, and to allow the family members of all violent crime victims to get time off from work to attend trial proceedings. 
• Improving transportation: I've gotten vital funding for the Southwest Corridor light rail line, and I successfully pushed the Department of Transportation to open its books so that we can all evaluate the reasons for delays on projects such as Highway 100.   
• Election integrity: I streamlined our election system, and widened participation for overseas military and educational personnel, by moving the state primary election from September to August.  I've also added accountability and campaign finance reform provisions to state law.

Priorities:

• First and foremost, I will focus on job creation and retention.  A good start is the capital investment plan that Governor Dayton has proposed, which would invest in vital public works projects throughout the state.
• I want to help steer our state away from partisan and highly divisive fights.  We need collaboration, not endless (and needless) controversy.  Last year, legislative leaders unfortunately chose to focus tremendous time and attention on issues such as the proposed anti-marriage amendment to the constitution.  That was an entirely unnecessary mistake, which caused bitter feelings that persist to this day.  Instead, I'll push for a focus on issues that people care about, like jobs, education, and transportation.
• I want to make sure our schools get fair treatment.  Last year, the legislature unwisely borrowed billions of dollars from our students (the highest level of such borrowing in state history)-- with an uncertain timetable for repayment.  I would like to see our schools paid back as quickly as possible with a fair and stable source of revenue.   
• I'll push hard for transportation relief in the form of improvements to Highway 100 and acceleration of the Southwest Corridor light rail transit line.  Heavy traffic in our area costs us time and money.  The best solution includes a reasonable blend of road improvements and rail expansion.
• I'll continue to be a voice for consumer protection, election integrity, and government reform.  I'll be authoring changes to a key whistle-blowing law, and I'll do my best to stop or slow legislation that would strip or weaken existing protections and reforms.