Lawmakers at the Capitol have been working long hours as the 2012 session nears its completion. Sen. Ted Lillie, whose offer on a Woodbury home was recently accepted, said he was there Monday from the early morning to 10 p.m. Asked what he’s working on of late, Lillie referenced a bill that would put a two-year moratorium on rules that impact business owners. One of the complaints he heard from job-creators is that Minnesota laws and regulations change too often. “They can’t keep up with it,” Lillie said. There are several “off ramps” in the bill that allow legislators to continue making …

A bill that would require new Minnesota teachers to pass a basic-skills test recently won unanimous approval from the state House of Representatives. State Rep. Andrea Kieffer, a Republican from Woodbury, authored the bill, which would require a passing grade from teachers before they get their license (HF 1770). Current law requires the basic skills test, but still allows teachers in the classroom even if they fail, according to a release from her office. “We all agree that we need to raise the bar for teacher candidates in order to solve the achievement gap,” Kieffer said in a statement. “…

When Woodbury officials gathered a couple weeks back to discuss the city's 2012 legislative priorities, they said they weren’t looking for special legislation on an initiative to use general-obligation bonds toward the construction of sports facilities. They might get it anyway. Rep. Andrea Kieffer, a Republican from Woodbury, said she looked into the matter but found it too unwieldy to apply statewide. Under state law, the use of general-obligation bonds, which have the lowest interest rate, is currently not allowed for the construction of recreational facilities. Woodbury has an AAA bond …

Members of the Minnesota House—including Woodbury Rep. Andrea Kieffer—recently voted to put a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman in front of voters on the 2012 ballot. After an emotional five-hour debate, the vote came in at 70-62, mostly along party lines, although four Republicans voted against the bill. The question will appear on the Minnesota ballot as a constitutional amendment in 2012. In his most recent newsletter, Sen. Ted Lillie, a Republican who represents Woodbury, said his position is “no different from President Barack Obama’s who said he…

On a busy Monday at the Capitol, state Rep. Andrea Kieffer was on the House floor. “And that’s pretty much where I’ll be for the next two weeks or so,” she said. Kieffer said her colleagues are forging ahead in hopes of completing their work before the 2011 session comes to an end. But Gov. Mark Dayton seems to be “dragging his feet” and has asked to see budget proposals as one big package, she said. “Which is kind of ridiculous, because education is ready to go,” said Kieffer, a Republican from Woodbury. This week is primarily dedicated to omnibus hearings at the Capitol, she said, and …

State Rep. Andrea Kieffer, a freshman lawmaker representing Woodbury, recently had her first bill pass through the House. It’s now on its way to conference committee. The bill (HF183) would require prospective teachers to pass a basic-skills exam before they enter a classroom. The Senate version of the bill is slightly different on when a teacher would have to pass the test, said Kieffer, who compared the exam to an ACT test. While she stressed that the bill isn't aimed at correcting a huge problem within the state's education system, Kieffer said the law would help weed out unqualified …

As the Legislature begins to take a recess this week, state Rep. Andrea Kieffer says there will still be plenty of work behind the scenes. “It’s not like we’re taking off to Hawaii,” she said. Kieffer, a Woodbury Republican, reported Monday that a bill she’s authored—aimed at shortening the court process for worker’s compensation claims (HF1362)—recently got it’s second hearing and is headed to the Ways and Means Committee. The bill would require “dispute resolution” in such cases to 180 days; the average now in Minnesota is 220 days, she said. There is also a provision in the bill that would…

While his fellow lawmakers at the Capitol report that this Legislature is further along in the budget process than any in recent memory, Sen. Ted Lillie says the state is still a few steps away from closing the budget deficit. The Minnesota Senate recently passed 10 of its omnibus spending bills, which will now go to conference committee as the differences between the House and Senate versions are hammered out before the legislation is sent to the governor’s desk. Lillie, a Republican who represents Woodbury, said he’s curious to see how the governor will respond to the spending bills. Gov. …

Sen. Ted Lillie has been speaking with several Minnesota business owners about the recent trend of a more "horizontal" management structure. He’d like to see the same thing in state government. The Republican, who represents Woodbury in the Senate, has authored a bill (SF739) that would reduce the number of deputy and assistant commissioners in state agencies. “This state government is huge,” he said. He noted a recent Wall Street Journal article that reported there are twice as many government workers (22.5 million) as there are in manufacturing in the U.S. That ratio was reversed in 1950, …

Last week, Patch brought you the story of Woodbury residents Jeff and Kelly Lavers, who are trying to pass a bill that would require driver’s education courses to discuss the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and include a question on permit tests. State Rep. Andrea Kieffer, who introduced the legislation, says there is a similar bill now making its way through the Senate, but because it is not a companion bill and isn’t included in the Senate omnibus transpiration package, there are a few details to be worked out if it is to become law. “We’ll have to see what happens,” she said. The …

Rep. Andrea Kieffer says a bill she’s authoring to make things tougher on repeat sex offenders is making headway while a measure to reinstate math standards for high school graduates is also gaining steam. The sex-offender bill (HF532) relates to inappropriate conduct with minors and would sentence offenders to up to five years in prison if the individual has a qualifying prior offense. “It’s one of those, an ounce of prevention now is worth a pound of cure later,” said Kieffer, a Republican from Woodbury, adding that the bill has nearly unanimous support. She’s also working on a bill (HF558…

Rep. Andrea Kieffer, a Republican from Woodbury, will have the second hearing for her bill to increase penalties for sex offenders on Thursday. The bill (HF532) relates to inappropriate conduct with minors and would sentence offenders to up to five years in prison if the individual has a qualifying prior offense. The bill has the support of Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, Kieffer said. “It should be a good one for our state,” she said. Kieffer has also been asked to carry a bill that would reform the state’s corporate income tax rate. It has yet to be introduced and details weren’t …

With news that the state budget deficit is now $1 billion less than originally thought, Rep. Kathy Lohmer says lawmakers still have plenty of work ahead. “I think it’s great that we have $33 billion instead of $32 billion,” said Lohmer, a Republican from Lake Elmo who represents parts of Woodbury in the state House. “I keep saying that $32 billion should be enough for five million people.” The job of trimming the state’s health and human services budget, which has been on Lohmer’s radar, will remain difficult, she said, but “it’s nice to have a little cushion there.” Despite the revised …

The big news from the state Capitol of late was Gov. Mark Dayton’s veto of a bill that would have reduced state spending by $900 million. Rep. Andrea Kieffer, who represents the bulk of Woodbury in the state House, said she, like others, saw the veto coming. “It didn’t really surprise me that he would veto this right off the bat,” she said. “But it does disappoint me.” Kieffer, R-Woodbury, said she saw the bill as a starting point for lawmakers as they look for ways to dig the state out of its $6.2 billion deficit. The bill would have kept spending at last biennium’s levels, she said. Chiming…

Editor's Note: Capitol Review is a weekly look at what your state legislators are doing at the Minnesota Capitol—how they're voting, the bills they're writing and the issues they're getting behind. Come back to Patch every Monday for a new Capitol Review. The big news out of the state House of Representatives of late is a bill that would cut $181 million in spending over the current biennium and reduce the state’s two-year budget by $822 million. The state is wrestling with a $6.2 billion deficit and both House members representing Woodbury—Andrea Kieffer (R-Woodbury) and Kathy Lohmer (R-Lake…

Editor's Note: Capitol Review is a weekly look at what your state legislators are doing at the Minnesota Capitol—how they're voting, the bills they're writing and the issues they're getting behind. Come back to Patch every Monday for a new Capitol Review. State Sen. Ted Lillie is backing a bill that would require zero-based budgeting and another piece of legislation that would reduce the state government workforce. Still, Lillie said these early days of the 2011 Legislature have reminded him of the “art of conversation.” Lillie, a Republican from Lake Elmo who represents Woodbury in the …

Editor's Note: Capitol Review is a weekly look at what your state legislators are doing at the Minnesota Capitol—how they're voting, the bills they're writing and the issues they're getting behind. Come back to Patch every Monday for a new Capitol Review. Two weeks since the state Legislature began the 2011 session, the two House members representing Woodbury have their names on a number of bills while the senator has yet to author any legislation. Rep. Andrea Kieffer is listed as the coauthor of 13 bills (she is the chief author of none), and Rep. Kathy Lohmer has her name attached to nine (…

Editor's Note: Capitol Review is a weekly look at what your state legislators are doing at the Minnesota Capitol—how they're voting, the bills they're writing and the issues they're getting behind. Come back to Patch every Monday for a new Capitol Review. As the state Legislature kicked off the 2011 session Tuesday, Rep. Andrea Kieffer said things went smoothly. Her toughest challenges on her first day at the Capitol? “I’m still figuring out the phones and making sure I know how to use my computer,” she said. Kieffer, a Republican who represents the bulk of Woodbury in the House, said her …