Senator Latz Assesses His Goals for the 2012 Session

At the start of this year’s session, Patch asked local legislators . After the session ended, we returned to the legislators to see how they thought they did working toward those goals.

Below are the thoughts Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) shared with Patch. The conversation doesn’t end here, though. We want to know what you think about the performance of your state senator and representatives. Did they make progress toward their stated goals? Were they stymied by the opposition? Were they working toward the right goals? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Here’s what Latz had to say.

Goal: “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.”

Self-review: “I focused on the economy and jobs, supporting Gov. Dayton’s proposed hiring tax credit for businesses and tax reform proposals to level the playing field for our Main Street businesses facing unfair competition from online transactions that do not collect sales taxes. I also successfully fought off the so-called ‘right to work’ constitutional amendment that would have undermined the ability of workers to bargain collectively for fair wage and benefits packages. While the legislature did pass a modest bonding bill with provisions I supported, including for the Perpich Center, the Republican leadership refused to include any funding for Southwest Light Rail Transit, jeopardizing our position on the federal priority list and over $1 billion in federal money. Consequently, I voted against the bonding bill. The new Vikings stadium will also create thousands of jobs.”

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Goal: “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.”

Self-review: “I led the fight to defeat the ‘right to work’ constitutional amendment, as it went through the Judiciary Committee on which I am the lead DFLer, and eventually successfully bottling it up in the Senate Rules Committee. We also prevented other constitutional amendments on budget and tax matters that would have caused massive cuts in programs and tied the hands of future legislatures in adjusting to contemporary priorities. Unfortunately, the Voter ID amendment will be on the ballot. This is in effect a voter suppression measure, putting unnecessary hurdles in front of lawful voters such as seniors, military members, and college students; it will likely end same day registration.”

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Goal: “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.”

Self-review: “I played a key role in shaping and passing this important legislation that creates felony penalties for those who abuse vulnerable adults.”

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Goal: “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.”

Self-review: “We heard a lot of proposals in Judiciary that we actively shaped during discussion. Some were not controversial but needed fine-tuning. Others, such as the ‘Shoot First’ bill, were not possible to moderate because the whole concept of shooting first without even trying to avoid the danger was so bad. The recent Florida shooting of Trayvon Martin proves my point. Fortunately, Gov. Dayton vetoed the bill.

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Goal: “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.”

Self-review: “This legislature passed a very modest higher education bill this year with some relatively minor housekeeping provisions, but they included a review to look at text book pricing. Next year will be another budget year and we are facing a $1.2 billion structural deficit, so higher education will again be confronted with funding issues. Only a change in the legislative majority will mitigate that impact.”