Liberal in the Land of Conservative

That being said, study after study shows there is no direct correlation between education spending and test results.

Section 1. ELIMINATING STATE MANDATES.
Subdivision 1. Intent; purpose. To ensure that public services are delivered as
cost-effectively as possible, it is the intent of the legislature to eliminate unnecessary
state regulations and mandates. By July 1, 2010, mandates or regulations that result in
unnecessary paperwork, are redundant, or contain outdated or irrelevant requirements
shall be eliminated or revised. Requirements that are necessary to protect the health
and well-being of Minnesotans or that are necessary to meet federal requirements shall
not be eliminated.
Subd. 2. State mandate review. Any county, city, school district, professional
association, or other entity affected by state mandates may submit to the legislature a
list of mandates that are required by state statute or rule that the entity determines to be
unnecessary or in need of reform. The legislature shall review the mandates that have
been submitted.

Federal-State Programs Important to Minnesota Economic Recovery

I'm honored the citizens of District 15B elected me to represent them and I'm looking forward to the challenges. This is not a time for fear; this is a time for courage, a time for reform and reinventing government, and a time to work together in the upcoming Legislative Session.

To say we have our work cut out for us is an understatement. The current state of the economy is clearly affecting our pocket books as we contend with increasing unemployment, ever-tightening credit, increasing foreclosures, weak consumer spending, and declines in the stock market.

Although we are facing a historic budget deficit and a long, deep economic recession, I am heartened by the anticipated change in national leadership. I think our President-Elect Obama will be good for the nation and good for the state of Minnesota, first and foremost because he is a leader who understands the importance of partnering federal and state governments together in these challenging times.

The federal government can help stimulate Minnesota's economic recovery by investing in existing federal-state programs. My top five picks for where federal monies should be invested include:
1) Fully fund No Child Left Behind and special education mandates so that we can continue to invest in workforce development,
2) Provide Medicaid reimbursement by temporarily increasing federal medical assistance to sustain those in need of health care coverage during this slow economy,
3) Reauthorize SCHIP to increase the reimbursement for children's health insurance,
4) Extend unemployment benefits to help stabilize our workforce, and
5) Invest in infrastructure projects that will put our skilled labors to work.

The federal government could be a very helpful partner with the state government and I think it's a key to helping us through this recession. Other keys include the state showing the same kindness to our counties, cities and schools. Let us extend the same understanding to these entities as we are asking from the federal government.

This is a time to put policy in front of politics. It's time that we're one Minnesota. Once we get through these challenges, we must have a vision for the future that includes job creation and establishing a recession proof Minnesota.

Sincerely,

Larry Haws
State Representative

The approach will be two fold: First, a best practice study and then a funding formula that reflects State and Federal responsibility for unfunded mandates meeting the needs of all our students. I will co-author, lobby, and give support to this effort. I was proud to have carried a bill for special education but it was small step forward we need a continue our quest fair and adequate funding.

Goals for our Saint Cloud team:

We need to have a successful follow up year for bonding in 2010 and keep the our projects going: Airport Expansion, Civic Center, Health Partners Building Tech College, New Science Building at SCSU, and our Central Minnesota Parks and Trails projects.

A significant challenge to our Saint Cloud Team is to find common ground and work as a team for fair and adequate school funding to improve public education and prevent the use of property tax increases.

We will also need team efforts to secure a fair disbursement of state and federal dollars in transportation funding for Central Minnesota.

As a past St. Cloud Park Director, I have years of experience dealing with budget preparation and controls. A primary budget reduction strategy was to lead by example; that is, reductions need to be made on an individual basis and on an administrative level. We need to demonstrate personal willingness to be part of any budget reduction.

I will lobby for a balance between revenues and spending. I'm hopeful we will be dealing with a reduced deficit projection.

In 2008 we used a variety of tools to solve the budget deficit: spending reductions, closing corporate loopholes and use of budget reserves. I would address a 2009 budget deficit in a similar way. I would also work to protect core services and the most vulnerable.

NEWS RELEASE Haws Receives Legislative Leader Award

ST. PAUL – State Representative Larry Haws (DFL-St. Cloud) was a recipient of the "Legislative Leader Award" by the Minnesota Workforce Council for his dedicated support of the Minnesota Youth Program to provide workforce and academic skills to disadvantaged youth across Minnesota. Anne Olson, Director of the MWCA said, "Our members are very appreciative of the tireless effort of Rep. Haws over the past two years to ensure these critical programs retain funding."

"This investment in our youth pays big dividends," said State Representative Haws. "As the past chair of the Stearns Benton Employment Training Council I watched graduates of the youth program close the gap and prepare themselves ready for school and work challenges. I was honored to carry legislation and advocate for the youth work programs as our investment will have life changing and long term returns."

The Minnesota Workforce Council Association will hold a reception to recognize State Representative Haw' leadership on the Minnesota Youth Program. The reception will be held on August 5th at the Suites Hotel, 325 Lake Avenue South in Duluth, 5:00 pm -7:00 pm.

Letter: DeSoto closure was a much gentler wake-up
By Rep. Larry Haws, District 15B

Published: March 26. 2008 12:30AM

The closing of the DeSoto Bridge is a second wake-up call. I say it's a very lucky second warning.

St. Cloud was saved by a state Department of Transportation inspection and our citizens will be well served by a newly adopted transportation plan that works, and here is why.

Minnesota has 12,736 bridges, and until the passing of this year's transportation bill, Minnesota had a stagnant and dangerous lack of transportation funding. The new plan invests $6.6 billion over 10 years in roads, bridges, highways and transit needs in outstate Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

During the next decade, the city of St. Cloud will receive $7,252,000, Stearns County will receive $32,629,000, Sherburne County will receive $12,883,000, and Benton County will receive $7,711,000 over and above what they would have received without this legislation.

Please also note that this legislation is a property tax relief measure.

Property taxes are the single largest source of transportation funding in our state, and we must reverse this trend. As a result of this new law, homeowner property tax burdens will be eased because cities and counties will be relieved of the burden of financing area road construction projects.

The new transportation plan is also about jobs, thousands of jobs, and had we done this last year we would have made a significant impact on today's economy. The most significant benefit of the transportation bill is safe transportation for our citizens as they travel our roads and cross our bridges.

The barriers across the DeSoto Bridge detour our travel and should clear our thoughts to the benefits of the 2008 transportation bill. I'm grateful for the gentler wake-up call.

In order to keep Minnesotans healthy and provide the best quality of health care, our health care system must:

(1) Ensure all Minnesotans receive high quality health care, regardless of their income;

(2) Not restrict, delay, or deny care or reduce the quality of care to hold down costs, but instead reduce costs through prevention, efficiency, and reduction of bureaucracy;

(3) Cover all necessary care, including all coverage currently required by law, complete mental health services, chemical dependency treatment, prescription drugs, medical equipment and supplies, dental care, long term care, and home care services;

(4) Allow patients to choose their own providers;

(5) Be funded through premiums and other payments based on the person's ability to pay, so as not to deny full access to all Minnesotans;

(6) Focus on preventative care and early intervention to improve the health of all Minnesotans and reduce costs from untreated illnesses and diseases;

(7) Ensure and adequate number of qualified health care professionals and facilities to guarantee availability of, and timely access to quality care throughout the state;

(8) Continue Minnesota's leadership in medical education, training, research, and technology; and

(9) Provide adequate and timely payments to providers.

For Immediate Release	For more information contact:
11/9/2007	Joan Nichols (651-29X-XXXX)

NEWS RELEASE Haws Hosts Bioscience Tour in St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD, MN – State Representative Larry Haws is hosting a bioscience tour in St. Cloud on Friday, November 9th, where the Senate Business, Industry, and Jobs Committee will join the House Bioscience Committee to tour DCI, Inc.'s facilities and the College of Science & Engineering at the St. Cloud State University.

"Bioscience is an economic development priority in Minnesota," said Haws. "As a member of the House Biosciences & Emerging Technologies Committee, I am well aware of the enormous potential of bioscience-based industries. I welcome opportunities like this tour to meet with stakeholders that include bioscience experts, development leaders, and university members who have an interest in supporting emerging and established biobusiness enterprises statewide."

The biobusiness technology is a young industry in the United States with great potential to motivate states like Minnesota that possess an abundance of technological capabilities to position themselves in this globally competitive industry. Currently, Minnesota's overall biobusiness technology industry is concentrated on medical devices and Research & Development in the life sciences. It's an opportune time to explore emerging technology-related opportunities in the human health and agri-bio/bio-industrial sectors of the economy.

"We are interested in creating and retaining biobusiness jobs in Minnesota, in the private and public sector – including academic research," said Haws. "What we do to encourage and develop this sector of employment will have a profound impact on Minnesota communities like St. Cloud."

The joint committees are touring specific communities and facilities throughout the state, using the tours as an informative guide to help develop recommendations that can be used to direct the state in becoming more competitive in specific areas of biobusiness. These recommendations, based on an understanding of technologies, products and markets that exist in Minnesota, will be brought back to the Capitol and used to draft future legislation to benefit the bioscience industry.

"We are in the midst of a bioscience revolution and it is so profound that over the course of the next 20 years alone, our lives are going to be as greatly impacted as they have been by computers over the past 20 years," said Haws.

Your turn: Local legislators support district's levy
By Sen. Tarryl Clark and Reps. Steve Gottwalt, Larry Hosch and Larry Haws

Published: October 31. 2007 12:30AM

We stand together to support our local levy, and we hope you will, too!

It has been said that a society's soul can be measured by the beliefs and practices of its citizens. A community whose citizens value each other regardless of differing economic, social and ethnic backgrounds is also a community whose schools grasp every opportunity to produce educated, confident students.

Since the days of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, the role of public education has evolved to ensure universal access, equity and opportunity for all students. While the next years will certainly focus on proficiency and accountability within our schools, we cannot lose sight of our fundamental goal to work alongside parents and guardians educating the whole child to produce healthy, capable and participating citizens.

Ninety percent of Minnesota children attend public schools and collectively, our most challenging goal is to teach all students effectively. Our need for additional public funding affects gifted and talented students as much as those at-risk children who face complex problems beyond the educational setting.

The St. Cloud school district's funding dilemma is not much different from its neighbors, who also seek local levy funding on Election Day.

The levy asks for dollars to cover basic costs of hiring additional teachers, providing a half-day option for kindergarten, ensuring athletics and extra-curricular activities, providing transportation to students who live between 1-2 miles from their school, achieving greater fiscal efficiencies and adding improvements in technology.

A $15 annual school tax increase added to current property taxes on a $150,000 home will continue those services the next four years. A "no" vote will require $6 million in cuts starting in 2008.

We seek your help in supporting this local property tax levy as we vow to work hard on public education funding. We pledge continued collaboration and renewed effort as we address funding, achievement and district inequities.

We know that there are higher costs to educate students who are challenged with English proficiency, low socioeconomic status, disabilities, access to technology, regional economic disparities, mobility and other differences.

We are acutely aware of the increasing costs to provide the best education. ... We are also aware that this must be done in close collaboration with parents and guardians as we work toward the ultimate goal of success and achievement for our children in an increasingly competitive global market.

Our local schools need our help and a "yes" vote for the district's operating referendum on Tuesday. We need your support and input as we work to address funding issues of equity, achievement and accountability for all our children.

It is our desire to work toward a long-term funding solution characterized by flexibility, innovation and transparency. Everyone understands our children need to be well educated, but getting there requires working together.

... Join us in voting "yes" for the St. Cloud school district operations referendum!

Sen. Tarryl Clark represents District 15 and is assistant majority leader. Rep. Steve Gottwalt represents District 15A. Rep. Larry Hosch is from District 14B and Rep. Larry Haws is from District 15B.

Health Care
• Patients and doctors should make ALL health care decisions, not the Government.
• Reduce/eliminate governmental mandates on our health care system.
• When purchasing insurance allow additional pooling of small businesses to achieve more economical health care premium rates. Therefore reducing the costs employees’ pay for health care insurance.
• Eliminate fraudulent lawsuits against doctors therefore reducing the cost of medical malpractice insurance, and saving EVERYONE more money.