July 4, 2009

Dear friends,

I hope you are enjoying this spectacular Minnesota summer, and my best wishes for a Happy Independence Day. I also want to take this opportunity thank you for giving me the honor to serve District 60B in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

The 2009 legislative session concluded in May with Governor Pawlenty's veto of a legislative bill to balance the state's budget in a fiscally responsible manner. Instead of adopting the legislature's common sense "pay as you go" approach, the Governor insisted on a budget that included more borrowing and debt. Rather than working with the legislature on a compromise, Governor Pawlenty chose a path of unilateral unallotment cuts that will harm hospitals, nursing homes, the disabled, and poor. The cuts will also impact higher education and reduce critical aid to cities. I am especially concerned about the future of one of Minneapolis most important public institutions--the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC).

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend an informational meeting at HCMC, sponsored by the Minnesota House of Representatives Heath and Human Services Policy and Oversight Committee. We heard a troubling and sobering presentation from hospital physicians and others regarding the impacts of Governor Pawlenty's unallotment budget cuts on the hospital and its patients. As a safety net hospital, HCMC serves the poor, who will be disproportionately affected by these drastic cuts. The reduction in General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) will slash the hospital's budget by 12%. Needless to say, this will have a dramatic negative impact on HCMC. During these challenging times, the doctors, nurses and staff at HCMC deserve our deepest thanks and appreciation for their heroic work, everyday, providing health care to all who enter its doors.

Despite, the budget setback, I am proud to report major accomplishments in the transportation arena. As chair of the House Transportation and Transit Policy and Oversight Committee I worked to ensure that there would be no fare increases or cuts to basic transit operations. Our efforts also resulted in funding to plan high speed rail to Chicago, and support for additional light rail corridors, including the Southwest Light Rail line, which will run stop near Lake Calhoun on its route from Eden Prairie to Downtown Minneapolis. If you would like a more detailed summary of my work during the 2009, legislative session, please call or e-mail me and I'd be happy to send out our latest newsletter.

The legislature will reconvene in February, 2010. During this interim period, please feel free to contact me at (612) 926-3406 or via e-mail at FHornstein@msn.com, if you have ideas, advice, or suggestions about matters before the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Have a fun, relaxing and safe summer!

Sincerely,

Frank Hornstein
State Representative

As always, please contact me at (612) 926-3406 or e-mail me at FHornstein@msn.com if you have any questions, concerns, or advice.

Frank can be reached at 612-926-3406
and at 4344 Drew Ave. S., Mpls, MN 55410