Hello Friends. Things have been very busy at the Capitol. We have completed the first two committee deadlines, and the session has been fast and busy!  I hope that you find the attached update informational. Thank you!  Sincerely, Senator Al DeKruif   Al DeKruifState SenatorDistrict 25G 24 Capitol Building75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.St. Paul, MN 55155651 296-1279 (phone)sen.al.dekruif@senate.mn

Dear Neighbors,  You may have noticed last week that you did not get an update in your in box.  Last week was first committee deadline week, and we were in committee mode all day Friday. Have a great weekend, and I hope to see all you delegates at tomorrow's Senate District 58 Convention!  Sincerely,Dave   Senator Dave ThompsonSenate District 36

The Minnesota Senate on Thursday approved a plan that would allow state parks, the state lottery, and private businesses regulated by the state Racing Commission to remain open in the event of another state government shutdown. Sponsored by Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25), SF1843 would assure that parks remain open with funds from existing revenue until expenses become greater than income. “State parks are owned by the people of Minnesota, and they should not have to face ‘Park Closed to the Public’ signs when a shutdown can be prevented by this administrative change,” DeKruif said. The net …

The Senate Education Committee today approved a bill to pay back 2011 borrowing from school aid payments—the remaining approximately $415 million that was part of the shift in the timing of payments to school districts in last year’s budget compromise. The shift will leave more than $500 million in the state's budget reserve and cash-flow accounts. The state has not had that much cash on hand since 2008, said Education Committee member Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25), who supported the bill. To end last year’s state shutdown, the Legislature agreed with Gov. Mark Dayton to borrow $700 million…

Dear Neighbor, I am thrilled to report we passed a bill on Thursday that I co-authored to fully repay last year’s K-12 funding shift. The bill also begins to address the shifts and cash-reserve crisis that we inherited from the previous majority. Our bill (H.F. 2083) is possible in part because of the $1.2 billion in surplus that Minnesota taxpayers and businesses have generated in the last few months. I believe that providing further stabilization for the cash flows of our schools is exactly the right place to utilize these funds. As you know we are already applying $318 million of the …

In a video for Minnesota Senate media, Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25), a freshman legislator who represents Northfield, shares why he chose not to seek re-election in the 2012 election. Following redistricting, DeKruif's was pitted against another Repubican senator whose district remained relatively intact. Be sure to follow Northfield Patch on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletters, which send you updates about stories, breaking news, announcements, events and blogs on our site.

Minnesota students, home safety and families that visit the Zoo should not be used as leverage if the state budget bills are not passed, said two lawmakers who are carrying bills that address situations where the services could continue to citizens should the state face another shutdown. They passed the Senate Monday. “There is already plenty of pressure for the Legislature to get its job done,” said Sen. John Carlson (R-Bemidji), who is authoring a bill to allow MnSCU schools to be kept open using existing reserves, tuition and fees. “A shutdown creates new roadblocks to the accounts that …

Editor's note: State Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-District 36B) represents the Dakota County precinct of Northfield. This is his most recent newsletter. BUDGET IMPROVES - MY PLAN TO PAY BACK SCHOOLSThe February budget forecast showed an improvement in our state's fiscal situation.  Because of this improvement the state will have over $1 billion dollars cash on hand and will automatically pay back the debt to schools by $318 million dollars.  I think it's reasonable that the state use some of the extra cash on hand to further pay down this debt to our schools.  I introduced a bill last week to reduce …

Dear Neighbors, Attached please find my legislative update for the week ending March 9, 2012.  Pay special attention to next week’s schedule.  It will be an interesting few days! Sincerely,Dave

Dear Neighbor, There has been a wave of good news from St. Paul in recent days. Top headlines include a $6.3 billion turnaround we have brought to the state budget, accelerated repayment of K-12 funds we are now making, and an unemployment rate which continues to fall with nearly 30,000 additional jobs in Minnesota the last two months. Warm regards,Kelby

Sen. Dave Thompson (R-District 36) represents the most northern precinct of Northfield in Dakota County. Be sure to follow Northfield Patch on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter, which sends you updates about stories, breaking news, announcements, events and blogs on our site.

Dear Neighbor, The budget we set last year continues to surpass initial projections. The new economic forecast released Wednesday shows the state of Minnesota’s budget has come a long way in a short amount of time. We have erased the $6.1 billion shortfall from last year and can now report a $1.2 billion surplus. The current $1.2 billion surplus is a result of decreased spending and a slight increase in revenues which results in a $6.3 billion turn for the better in less than a year. This is outstanding news and it is rewarding to see the difficult decisions we made last year start to take …

Sen. Dave Thompson (R-District 36) represents the most northern precinct of Northfield in Dakota County.

Dear Neighbor, There was strong attendance at the recent Office Hours event I hosted and at area precinct caucuses last week. I continue to be impressed with the level of thoughtful engagement on the issues and opportunities we face as Minnesotans throughout the district. A sincere thanks to all those who participated in these events. A common theme repeated during these meetings was a recognition that we must find innovative ways for all levels of government to meet the challenges of today and the opportunities of the future. A key issue we currently are working on at the Capitol is the much…

Editor's note: The following is from Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25), who represents Northfield. Because the Minnesota Vikings are a social and financial asset to our state, many political and business leaders are working to find a solution to keeping them in our state, as well as supporting economic growth and jobs in the private sector. Racino is the answer to both questions. Gambling in Minnesota – like it or not – is here to stay. Racino is a option for Minnesota that already exists, and without a major expansion or creation of a new site can be used as a source of income to both pay back…

Editor's note: The following was written by Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25), who represents Northfield in the Minnesota Legislature. Since the close of the legislative session, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many people in district and answer questions about our new two-year balanced budget plan. Two of the most common questions I receive are: “Are you cutting (LGA) Local Government Aid” and “How will loss of Market Value Homestead Credit affect me?” For all Minnesota cities and counties, Local Government Aid and County Aid has been frozen at either their 2010 paid OR certified 2011 …

Rep. Kelby Woodard (R-District 25B) and Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25) will host open office hours throughout the district on Saturday, Aug. 20. The local legislators invite residents to meet with them one-on-one or in small groups to discuss issues that are important to them. “Many of our conversations have focused on areas such as education reforms and the state budget,” Woodard said. “These office hours are an opportunity to have in-depth discussions regarding a wide range of topics. I look forward to hearing what constituents have to say and am eager to share my perspective on Minnesota'…

Editor's note: This is text from an electronic newsletter sent from Rep. Kelby Woodard (R-District 25B) to those registered to receive it. To register for the newsletter, click here. Dear Neighbor,As the dust settles on the budget agreement passed during the special session (last) week, I want to pass along my perspective on what the budget deal means to Minnesotans.The most important things we accomplished include reducing the trajectory of spending growth and enacting reform that allows our government to operate more efficiently and maximizes the effectiveness of our tax dollars. Our final …

Editor's note: This is a column from Sen. Al DeKruif and Rep. Kelby Woodard, both Republicans, who represent Northfield. We are just days from a historic government shutdown and it can be easy to get lost in the political rhetoric. For the first time in Minnesota history a Governor has signed only one budget bill (the Agriculture bill) during the regular session of the legislature. He has indicated he is not willing to fund even the areas that we have mutually agreement upon until he receives his tax increases. In order to prevent a shutdown, Governor Dayton must call a special session and …