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Carolyn Laine

Thursday, May 9, 2013

MN Same Sex Marriage: Twitter Takes Notice of Fridley-Area Representatives

The bill passed the Minnesota House of Representatives with help from state Reps. Connie Bernardy of Fridley and Carolyn Laine of Columbia Heights.

Read tweets by and about Fridley-area state representatives Connie Bernardy and Carolyn Laine on the day of the historic vote to approve a same-sex marriage bill in the Minnesota House of Representatives. See the Storify in the window above or at Storify.com.

Donald Lee

3:26 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2013

For those of you who object to what's happening in St Paul, check out my blog, and send flowers: http://mendotaheights.patch.com/blog_posts/please-send-flowers   more ›

MN Same-Sex Marriage Bill: Laine Offers GLBT Community Gift of Word 'Marriage'

Columbia Heights' state Rep. Carolyn Laine spoke in favor of the legislation to legalize same-sex marriage on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives Thursday.

State Rep. Carolyn Laine (DFL-Columbia Heights) spoke in favor of same-sex marriage legislation on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives Thursday afternoon. The full House is debating the bill and is expected to vote Thursday. If the bill passes the Minnesota Senate will take it up on Monday. Some of what Laine said in her speech: WATCH LIVESTREAM VIDEO of the House debate and vote on Thursday. See also: MN Same-Sex Marriage Bill: Bernardy Proud to 'Stand Up for Liberty, Love, Justice'

Friday, February 8, 2013

3 Saturday 'Community Conversations' with Goodwin, Bernardy and Laine

Fridley-area legislators are holding public meetings in Fridley, St. Anthony and New Brighton on Feb. 9, 2013.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Goodwin: Come to 'Community Conversations'

In letter to the editor, Sen. Barb Goodwin announces three public meetings with Reps. Connie Bernardy and Carolyn Laine on Feb. 9.

To the editor: I would like to invite all residents of Senate District 41 to join Rep. Carolyn Laine, Rep. Connie Bernardy and me to any of the three Community Conversations being held Feb. 9, 2013. Community Conversations give constituents an opportunity to meet with legislators and share ideas on legislative concerns facing our district and the state. Constituents will have three opportunities on Feb. 9: With the governor’s budget recently released, we will have plenty to talk about. Your input is very valuable. Please take this opportunity to get involved in the political process. Residents in Senate District 41 include the cities of Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop, New Brighton, St. Anthony Village and parts of Spring Lake Park.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Capitol Review: Goodwin, Bernardy Sign on to Early Bills

Fridley's delegation at the MN Legislature got busy in the opening days of the session.

Here is some of what Fridley's delegation was up to during the first week of the Minnesota Legislature's session, which began Jan. 8, 2013: Minnesota Senate Sen. Barb Goodwin, who represents Fridley, introduced four bills as co-author, and one resolution: S.F. No. 2: A bill for an act relating to education finance; authorizing funding for voluntary, full-day kindergarten; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 123B.41, subdivision 7; 126C.05, subdivisions 1, 15; 126C.12, subdivision 5. Referred to the Committee on Finance. S.F. No. 3: A bill for an act relating to employment; regulating the minimum wage; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 177.24, subdivision 1. Referred to the Committee on Jobs, Agriculture and Rural Development…

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

PHOTO: MN Legislature Gets Ready for 2013–14 Session

Legislative Clerk David Surdez places the names of the 2013-2014 House members on the voting board in the House Chamber. The legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 8.

Legislative Clerk David Surdez places the names of the 2013–2014 House members on the voting board in the House Chamber. The 134 name plates have to be adjusted by hand at least every two years. The legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 8, 2013. After redistricting, and the 2012 General Election, Fridley will be represented by Connie Bernardy in the Minnesota House of Representatives and Barb Goodwin in the Senate. (The other senator who has represeneted part of Fridley, Republican Pam Wolf, lost her re-election bid in a re-shaped district that no longer included Fridley.) Another familiar nameplate belongs to DFLer Carolyn Laine, whose district included part of Fridley before redistricting. (In the new session, she'll represent …

Thursday, July 19, 2012

At MN Capitol Meeting, Official Shows Fridley Cancer Rates in Line with Metro

City, state and federal officials pledged to hold a "health fair" to address residents' neighborhood concerns.

About three weeks after environmental crusader Erin Brockovich came to Fridley to discuss the city’s cancer concerns, state Sen. Barb Goodwin convened a meeting at the Minnesota Capitol Thursday to hear from city, state and federal officials about Fridley’s Superfund sites, standards for cleanup and future steps to take. About 20 officials and legislative staffers joined Goodwin (DFL-50), Rep. Carolyn Laine (DFL-50A), Fridley Mayor Scott Lund, and a handful of Fridley residents, along with Jason McCarty, founder of the Fridley Cancer Cluster Facebook group. Most of the discussion revisited points officials have been making since public uproar about Fridley’s cancer rates began early this year. Among those points:  New Chart Of particular …

jeff loven

2:12 am on Sunday, July 29, 2012

I should mention that we live at 1311 Creek Park Lane. The neighbor on one side of us is a cancer survivor. The guy next to him died of lung cancer. I told this to the gal directly across from us and she has shared with me that she had part of her colon removed/colon cancer last year. The person on the other side of us says she is sick also--quit her job as a nurse and is relocating because of …   more ›

Monday, June 18, 2012

'Fridley Cancer Cluster' Roundup: New Media Interest as Brockovich Visit Nears

KARE 11 interviewed state Rep. Carolyn Laine, and Fridley residents responded to Star Tribune story.

With consumer advocate Erin Brockovich planning a visit to Fridley a week from Wednesday, Twin Cities media outlets are again turning their spotlights on the city and to residents’ concerns about a possible linkage between cancer cases and environmental factors. In a front page Sunday story, the Star Tribune cited state officials and national experts who said scientific proof is elusive. And at least one local TV network (KARE 11) is preparing a followup story by interviewing state Rep. Carolyn Laine (DFL-50A) and Jason McCarty, the Fridley Cancer Cluster Facebook group founder. Laine said she is pushing the state Department of Health to provide more data about Minnesotans who contract cancer in order to better track environmental risks. “…

Friday, May 11, 2012

Laine's Aim: Add Residential Data to Cancer Surveillance System

State rep reviewing Fridley cancer rates; Brockovich visit won't be in May.

Concerns about Fridley's elevated cancer rates has one state representative seeking data, while a visit from environmental activist Erin Brockovich is delayed. Over the last several weeks, state Rep. Carolyn Laine (DFL-50A) has been looking into the possibility that environmental causes are partially to blame for Fridley’s elevated cancer rates, and now she is hoping to input residential and occupational data into the Minnesota Cancer Surveillance System. “I do not see this as a blame-for-the-past issue but as wake-up for today and the future: We need to be sure we are doing all we can/should be doing now,” Laine wrote in an email to Patch late last week. In a letter to the editor published in the Sun Focus (see PDF), Laine wrote that she …

Lisa Landen

10:18 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012

It is wonderful to see the city taking charge and showing concern for this situation. Hopefully we will find the cause and begin working toward the solution now.   more ›

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Carolyn Laine: Why I Voted against Vikings Stadium Bill

Of Fridley's three reps in House, she was only 'No' vote.

State Rep. Carolyn Laine (DFL-50A) explained her "No" vote on the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill in an email to constituent Wednesday: The Vikings stadium bill was one of the hardest votes I recall as a state representative. There are good and important reasons both to support and to oppose the proposal. I listened carefully to them all. Based on my own conscience, as well as what I discerned to be the majority opinion of my constituents, I finally voted no. Although the argument that stadium construction would provide much needed jobs was extremely persuasive to me – my heart goes out to unemployed trades people – I could not rationalize the stadium as the best way to do that. (A robust bonding bill would create opportunities all over the…

Marlene Hoda

10:51 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012

I share your opposition to the Viking’s stadium bill. I oppose the Vikings new football stadium for many good and sensible reasons. As you know, in March an agreement for a $975 million fixed-roof stadium near the Metrodome was announced between the Vikings, the Governor, Legislative leaders, the mayor and council president of Minneapolis, and various business and labor leaders. The state would …   more ›

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