Both Woodbury House Reps Vote 'Yes' on Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Both Woodbury representatives said yes to the same-sex marriage bill on Thursday afternoon.

  Update: 9:30 a.m., Friday, May 10 Rep. Kieffer posted a note on her Facebook page Friday morning: Before I vote on any legislation, I consider my principles, the people I represent, and then politics. As a freshmen legislator, I wish I had been more consistent with this system. Two years ago we had the “marriage” debate on the House floor, and I voted to put the amendment question on the ballot: I voted politics over my principles, and I justified it by saying “let the people decide”. Well, they decided. The vote in the district was 43% in favor of defining “marriage” in the constitution. That leaves 57% telling me they don’t want the constitution to define “marriage”. However, I wanted to be extra sure about this result, so instead of …

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Video from Woodbury Town Hall Meeting

The event, featuring several local elected officials, was held Saturday at City Hill.

MNCD4Conservative posted a YouTube video of a town hall meeting Saturday, March 9, in Woodbury that featured several local elected officials. Attending the meeting, held at City Hall, included: Constituents asked Kieffer to host the joint town hall meeting at her most recent library listening session in Woodbury, according to a pre-event release. Here's a post about the event from a local blogger: Betty McCollum on the Sequester   Like Patch on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for our free newsletter

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Kris Janisch

5:42 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Somebody on Facebook said there were officers there the whole time.   more ›

Woodbury Rep. Ward on Revised Budget Forecast: ‘Real Progress Towards Economic Recovery’

The latest budget forecast for Minnesota came out this week, projecting a smaller deficit than previously anticipated.

JoAnn Ward, a first-term state House representative from Woodbury, says a revised budget forecast for Minnesota is encouraging, but more work lies ahead. The February budget forecast released this week shows a projected deficit of $627 million for fiscal years 2014-15, down from November’s projected $1.1 billion deficit. “Minnesota is making real progress towards economic recovery and I am encouraged that the state is in a better place now than a few months ago,” Ward (DFL-Woodbury) said in a statement. “We still must tackle a large deficit, but I am confident that we will close this gap in a responsible way that sets up Minnesota for future growth and prosperity.” Republicans, meanwhile, said that despite the improved projections, the DFL…

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Joyce Denn

11:47 am on Sunday, March 10, 2013

We're in debt due to massive tax cuts, two unfunded wars, an unfunded mandate (Medicare Part D) and a huge recession which reduced government revenues (people who are out of work don't pay income taxes) and increased spending on necessary services such as food stamps and unemployment benefits. The best, most effective way to reduce our debt is to increase employment and grow our GDP, reducing the…   more ›

Woodbury Rep. JoAnn Ward on Gov. Mark Dayton's State of the State Speech

The DFLer released a statement Wednesday shortly after the governor's address.

State Rep. JoAnn Ward, who represents the northwest part of Woodbury in House District 53A, released the following statement about Gov. Mark Dayton's 2013 State of the State address. “Governor Dayton is taking a fresh approach to our state budget and priorities. Instead of the status quo of recent years that balances the budget on the backs of middle class families and small businesses, the governor is proposing to structurally balance the budget in a way that puts Minnesota on the path to economic prosperity. I look forward to working with Governor Dayton, Republicans and Democrats on ways to improve education, create jobs, invest in veterans and move our state forward. I encourage Woodbury, Maplewood, Oakdale and Landfall residents to …

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Joyce Denn

10:26 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013

Actually, KAnn, the government plays an important role in growing the economy - the evidence for this is abundant, if you just look at it.   more ›

Woodbury Rep. Kieffer: Governor’s Budget ‘Increases Taxes All Over the Place’

Gov. Mark Dayton unveiled his budget proposal Tuesday.

Woodbury’s lone Republican lawmaker wasn’t impressed, while the city’s two DFL legislators, part of a new majority at the Capitol, say the governor’s proposed budget is a good starting point. Dayton on Tuesday unveiled a proposed state budget and tax plan that would, among other things, lower Minnesota’s sales tax but broaden it to cover more items such as higher-priced clothing, car repairs and other services. He says it would also eliminate the state’s $1.1 billion budget deficit and balance government spending and revenue over the next two fiscal years. Rep. Andrea Kieffer, a Republican in her second term at the Legislature, said Gov. Mark Dayton’s budget “increases taxes all over the place.” “That’s not a big surprise,” she told Patch…

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Kris Janisch

1:33 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013

Ha! All good Mitch. That's what this space is for!   more ›

Letter: Lawmakers Thank Residents for Participation in Town Hall Meeting

Sens. Susan Kent and Chuck Wiger, and Reps. JoAnn Ward and Leon Lillie hosted a Jan. 12 town hall meeting in to discuss priorities for the legislative session.

We thank everyone who participated at our town hall meeting on Saturday, January 12th. It is great to hear from constituents. We sincerely appreciate hearing your concerns as we begin the new legislative session. We especially want to thank Washington County Commissioner Ted Bearth and District 622 School Board Member Steve Hunt for participating in the meeting. It is important we work together and listen to various viewpoints before making decisions at the Capitol. These forums allow us to connect with people in our districts and hear directly from voters.  This year, one of the top priorities is to put Minnesota’s budget on a sustainable path forward, and hearing citizens’ concerns helps put the budget in perspective for us. Additional …

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New State Rep. JoAnn Ward Takes the Helm in District 53A

The DFLer was sworn in Tuesday for her first term in the state Legislature.

State Rep. JoAnn Ward was officially sworn in Tuesday as the 88th Legislative Session convened at the State Capitol. Ward, who represents parts of Woodbury, Oakdale, Landfall and Maplewood, is serving her first term. She lives in Woodbury. “I’m ready to get to work,” Ward said in a statement. “I intend to focus my attention on building an economy with a strong, growing middle class, and improving our schools so that each of our children has opportunities for success.”  Lawmakers this session will have to address a $1.1 billion budget shortfall. When the money still owed to schools and inflation is included the shortfall rises to more than $3 billion, according to a release from her office. “It’s clear that we have a difficult road ahead, …

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Kris Janisch

6:53 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013

I'll be meeting with new Sen. Susan Kent this week, and here's what Rep. Kieffer is up to already: http://patch.com/A-0Srb   more ›

Ward Defeats Cunningham for House District 53A (Updated)

Unofficial results show that JoAnn Ward (DFL) beat Pam Cunningham (GOP) for the state House of Representatives District 53A.

JoAnn Ward (DFL) will be representing House District 53A, according to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State.  Ward beat challenger Pam Cunningham (GOP) with 11,932 votes (56 percent) while Cunningham received 9,269 votes (43 percent). All 14 precincts reported their numbers just after 1:00 a.m. Wednesday. Below is a statement from Ward. "I am thrilled and humbled by this election.  I send wholehearted thanks to the voters for believing in me. I will serve the needs and concerns of all the people of south Maplewood, south Oakdale, Landfall and western Woodbury.  I embarked on this campaign to bring a positive message to the voters: we must get past the gridlock and deliver results that solve basic economic problems. I …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter: JoAnn Ward Knows What Will Boost Minnesota’s Economy

Woodbury resident Charlotte Franey says the DFL candidate’s “small-business experience is needed in the state Legislature.”

Don’t be swayed by Republican special interest group’s misleading, false attacks against JoAnn Ward. Ward is running against Pam Cunningham in House District 53A, which encompasses the west side of Woodbury, and parts of Maplewood and Oakdale. You deserve the truth. They are claiming that DFL policies forced JoAnn Ward’s family business to move to Wisconsin. This is a ridiculous claim. JoAnn's husband's business is located in Hudson, Wis., and employs many Minnesotans. JoAnn Ward and her family business worked to improve Minnesota’s small-business climate. JoAnn’s husband, Joe, even testified before House and Senate jobs committees about their experience, urging more pro-small-businesses policies in the state of Minnesota. One of the …

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Matt Behning

6:14 pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2012

lol you know buisness taxes are half what they are in Washington County? Hence the reason for the challenger for the Oakdale's mayor position's oposition to the bridge construction. The class warfare the DFL wages against "the rich" who happen to own small businesses has most of them voting republican. They're not interested in the lectures they have to hear about them not "paying their fair …   more ›

Ward and Cunningham: Woodbury Candidate Forum for House District 53A

The League of Women Voters held forums for local candidates Tuesday night at City Hall.

Residents packed the Woodbury City Council chambers Tuesday night during a candidate forum for local Senate and House races. The League of Women Voters event, moderated by Grant resident Liz Nordling, touched on several topics, though job growth and bolstering the Minnesota economy were common themes throughout. The Republican- and DFL-endorsed candidates for Senate District 53 and House Districts 53A and 53B attended. Below are the responses from the House District 53A candidates. DFL candidate JoAnn Ward faces off against Republican Pam Cunningham.       Related: Lillie and Kent: Woodbury Candidate Forum for Senate District 53 Cunningham A nurse and school board member, Cunningham said she wants to focus on fiscal responsibility, …

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