Usually, the Capitol Update addresses what is going on in St. Paul.

This week, the focus will be on our

own Senate District, 44
Town Halls:
The past two weeks, we conducted Town Hall meetings for both the "A-Side" and the "B-Side" . I am always
impressed with how well informed the people of Senate District 44 are on all of the issues surrounding our State
and the current debates at the Legislature. For instance, the very first questions I fielded in both town halls had
nothing to do with the hot topics of education or transportation. Rather, the B-Side opened up with questions
about Mental Health services around the State. One question developed into a larger conversation about the critical
need for mental health services (to which I couldnt agree more) and even the sharing of community-based
resources that offer services. On the A-Side we began the night by discussing the Medical Device Tax and how it has
affected our own district, given the high amount of med-tech companies that reside in Plymouth and Minnetonka. I
was incredibly fortunate to have been joined by Mayor Kelli Slavik and City Council members Judy Johnson and Ned
Carrol, who were able to articulate how well the City of Plymouth is doing in not only maintaining our current
companies, but also attracting new ones. Of course, we did have much conversation about Education and
Transportation.

Transportation:
Two of the main transportation items that were discussed at both Town Halls were the Governors
recommendations for increased infrastructure and transit investments. As most would agree, and has been
discussed in past Updates, the State of Minnesota has a dire need to repair our roads, bridges and highways. This is
no longer up for debate. What is up for debate, however, is how we go about accomplishing this. Governor Dayton
has proposed a 6.5% gas tax increase that would go towards funding this need for years to come. During the B-Side
town hall, I conducted a very informal poll to see how many members of the crowd would support this increase.
The result all but one individual believed that this was a necessary investment.
Investments in transit are not considered to be as pressing to some. Certain individuals say it is a luxury more so
than a necessity. Personally, I believe that for our State and our district to be competitive at attracting and retaining
quality citizens and businesses in the future, we need a comprehensive, multi-modal transit system one which, in
my opinion, is lacking. To support the Southwest Light Rail project, as well as increased and improved bus systems,
Governor Dayton has proposed a cent sales tax increase in the seven-county metro area. On this topic, I polled
the A-Side to see how many individuals supported the Southwest Light Rail project. The result on this (informal) poll
was approximately 50/50.
Now I ask you, the reader, take this survey and let me know where you stand on these very issues:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YW9R9DC
I will follow up next week with the results.

Education:
As expected, many attendees came to discuss the legislation I authored regarding teacher quality vs. seniority.
However, this was not the only issue that people came to hear about. I was able to provide my position on the topic
and listen to the attendees to get their feedback some in support, some in opposition. We heard opinions that
teachers should not be held accountable for the scores of their students, as each class has varying levels of parent
involvement and student home life experience. We also heard that new employees need nurturing and mentoring
if they are ever going to succeed and stay with the profession. One creative approach suggested was to conduct
assessments based on block years of experience: evaluate teachers that have been there for 1-5 years and 6-10
years, etc. As I have discussed this topic in previous Updates, feel free to look back at past issues if you missed it:
http://www.terribonoff.com/category/capitolupdates/.
Folks also came to discuss the issues surrounding Higher Education. Specifically, the proposed free community
college idea was brought up. I heard feedback that this could be way too costly and that if the taxpayers are going
to pay, the students should be on the hook for their performance and commitment back to the State. One idea was
to require any student who receives this package to give back through community service. Regardless of where you
stood on the issue, there was little debate about the skyrocketing cost of college and how we are crippling our kids
with debt, while demanding that they get a degree.
No matter what the issue was that we discussed, I was so pleased with the tone and temperament of all who came.
We had respectful dialogue, even on issues of contention. These Town Halls and our district stands as a model for
how adults can engage in intelligent debate without resorting to character assassination and insult.
The last thing that I will mention is the lack of young people that come to the Town Halls. If you are reading this and
are a young adult please join us. If you have children who are coming of age, please encourage them to get
involved. We have much to learn from the next generation.