MN Sen. Dennis Frederickson ~ News Releases

News Releases

2010

Frederickson Recognized as a 2010 Leader in Public Policy: June 30, 2010

Frederickson Will Not Seek Re-election to the Minnesota Senate: March 30, 2010

Frederickson and Koenen Announce Marshall MERIT Funding Survives Governor’s Veto Pen: March 11, 2010

2009

Building Code Exemption for Gilfillan Site Passes: May 19, 2009

Frederickson, Vickerman and Koenen Announce Funds for New State Veterans Cemetery Provided in Capital Investment Bill: May 13, 2009

Senator Frederickson Introduces Clean Water Legacy Act Appropriations Bill: March 26, 2009

Frederickson and Koenen Propose New State Veterans Cemetery: March 3, 2009

Senator Frederickson Reminds Constituents of the Digital Television Conversion: January 12, 2009

Frederickson Will Not Seek Re-election to the Minnesota Senate: March 30, 2010

(St. Paul) District 21 State Senator Dennis Frederickson (R-New Ulm) announced today he will not seek a tenth term this November. Frederickson was first elected to the Senate in 1980 and has been reelected eight times. He has served southwest Minnesota in the Senate for 30 years.

“It has been an honor and privilege to have represented my constituents at the State Capitol,” said Frederickson. “To have their trust and confidence all these years is very humbling.” Frederickson, a retired farmer, is a leader in environment and natural resource issues. He was the Senate author of the Clean Water Legacy Act and the Minnesota River Conservation Enhancement Program (CREP) that enrolled 100,000 acres of land into conservation use to improve water quality.

He has been a member of the Legislative Citizen-Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) for 20 years. The LCCMR recommends projects for funding from the Environmental Trust Fund to the legislature. He is currently the Senate Vice-Chair of the LCCMR. In 2007 he was elected President Pro Tem of the Senate, the first member of a minority caucus to be elected to that leadership position.

Prior to being elected to the Senate in 1980, Frederickson served eight years as a Redwood County Commissioner being elected to that position in 1972. He was Chairman of the Board for two years. Combining his Senate and Commissioner service, he has been in elected office for 38 years. He retired from farming in 1997.

Since redistricting in 2002, Frederickson has represented Senate District 21 comprising of Brown, Redwood and Lyon Counties and part of Watonwan County. Through three redistrictings, he has also served constituents in Blue Earth, Cottonwood, LeSueur, McLeod, Murray, Nicollet, Renville, and Sibley Counties.

“It is still tremendously rewarding to serve in the Minnesota Senate, and I intend to continue working hard in the Senate until January 2011. But it is time to spend more time with my wife, Marj; fishing, hunting, canoeing the Minnesota River; and enjoying grandchildren’s concerts, gymnastics, basketball and soccer games. I want to visit our beautiful state parks and trails and enjoy the outdoors,” said Frederickson. “My heartfelt thank you to all the citizens in the four Senate Districts I’ve represented for allowing me the privilege of serving in the Minnesota State Senate.”

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Frederickson and Koenen Announce Marshall MERIT Funding

Survives Governor’s Veto Pen

ST. PAUL – Senator Dennis Frederickson (R-New Ulm) and Representative Lyle Koenen (DFLClara City) announced that Governor Tim Pawlenty signed into law a $1 million appropriation
for the Minnesota Emergency Response and Industry Training (MERIT) Center. The Center is a
“Tier Two” training facility that provides fire and law enforcement training as well as training
for industrial and student drivers. These types of training are not available in local communities.
The Center serves a 28 county area.

“I am pleased the governor recognizes the regional importance of this project since it is the only
regional public safety facility in Southwest and West Central Minnesota,” said Frederickson.
“Training for our police and fire departments is a life safety responsibility of government. It is
essential for the safety and health of our citizens.”

“The MERIT Center will provide enhanced training for emergency personnel that is not possible
at a local level; thereby keeping the general public safer,” added Koenen.

The City of Marshall originally proposed $2.14 million in state funding for the project. During
the legislative committee process, the amount was lowered to $1 million. In previous years, the
state allocated $1.620 million.

The MERIT Center allocation was part of a Capital Investment Bill that the legislature passed to
the governor. Although the governor, vetoed over $300 million in projects, the MERIT Center
survived.

“Considering the number of projects not funded this year, we are happy to get $1 million,” said
Rob Yant, Director of Public Safety for the City of Marshall. “It will help us keep residents of
our region safe.”

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Building Code Exemption for Gilfillan Site Passes

St. Paul – In the waning days of the session, the legislature passed a bill allowing the expansion of a picnic shelter at Gilfillan Historic Site without a sprinkler system. The chief authors of the bill were Senator Dennis Frederickson (R-New Ulm) and Representative Marty Seifert (R-Marshall).

The Friends of Gilfillan testified before a Senate committee for the exemption. Since the unheated building is used on a seasonal basis, the state’s sprinkler code was inappropriate for a structure like the picnic shelter. Because of the strict, no exemption, sprinkler requirement the proposed expansion was in jeopardy. The expansion will provide handicap accessible restrooms, a smaller multi purpose room and nearly double the size of the shelter.

“I am glad we were able to get the exemption,” said Frederickson. “A sprinkler system is not needed for a metal structure with a cement floor, no food preparation kitchen and no provision for locking the roll up doors.”

“All of us worked together to get this exemption passed,” added Seifert. “We worked with state offices and departments to make this happen. Common sense can prevail when people work together.”

The bill requires the expanded structure to have five exit doors, fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors.

Senator Frederickson and Representative Seifert look forward to having a root beer float with the Friends of Gilfillan during Farmfest ’09.

State Senator Dennis Frederickson is serving his ninth term in the Minnesota Senate. He encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at (651)296-8138, by mail at 139 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155, or via email at sen.dennis.frederickson@senate.mn.

State Representative Marty Seifert is serving his seventh term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He also encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at (651)296-5374; by mail at 267 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155; or via email at rep.marty.seifert@house.mn.

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Frederickson, Vickerman and Koenen Announce Funds for New State Veterans Cemetery

Provided in Capital Investment Bill

St. Paul – Senator Dennis Frederickson (R-New Ulm), Senator Jim Vickerman (DFL-Tracy) and Representative Lyle Koenen (DFL-Clara City) announced that $1.5 million was recently included in the Capital Investment bill to establish a new State Veterans Cemetery in the Redwood Falls area and another cemetery in northeastern Minnesota. The funding includes up to $500,000 for land acquisition and additional monies for pre-design and design of the cemeteries.

“I am extremely pleased to see the funding in the capital investment bill,” said Senator Frederickson. “Redwood County has a long history of supporting veterans and their families. This veterans cemetery will continue that tradition.”

“The conference committee recognized the importance and urgency of this project,” added Representative Koenen. “Funding from the state will help secure up to $16 million in federal funds.”

Senator Jim Vickerman (DFL-Tracy), chair of the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division said, “I want to see this Veterans Cemetery established. Our local veterans should have this as an option when the time comes.”

The total amount of the Capital Investment bill is $361 million. The bill now goes before the full Senate and House of Representatives for votes before it is presented to the governor for his signature.

State Senator Jim Vickerman is serving his seventh term in the Minnesota Senate. He encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at (651)296-5650, by mail at 226 Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155, or via email at sen.jim.vickerman@senate.mn.

State Representative Lyle Koenen is serving his fourth term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He also encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at (651)296-4346; by mail at 439 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155; or via email at rep.lyle.koenen@house.mn.

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Senator Frederickson Introduces Clean Water Legacy Act Appropriations Bill

St. Paul – A bill that fulfills the work begun earlier this decade to test Minnesota’s waters and clean up the polluted ones was introduced Thursday by Senator Dennis Frederickson (R-New Ulm).

Senate File 1913 [and its companion House File 2128 introduced by Representative Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley)] proposes to spend $152 million over the next two years from sales tax money generated by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Constitutional Amendment passed in November.

“The clean water portion of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment was the major reason many people voted ‘yes’ last fall,” said Frederickson. “Funding the Clean Water Legacy will keep the promise made to voters that we are going to ensure clean water for future Minnesotan generations. This is a giant step toward complying with the 1972 federal Clean Water Act.”

The bill carries out the promises of the Clean Water Legacy bill passed in 2006, but the full amount of money needed to carry out the task of cleaning up and protecting Minnesota’s waters has never been available until now.

A broad based coalition of groups, called the G-16, representing business, agriculture, local government and environmental organizations, has supported the need for the funding and how the money should be spent. The Clean Water Council, appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, recommended a funding plan that is contained in the bill to fund the Clean Water Legacy Act.

The bill directs more than $14 million to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to complete the job of testing the state’s lakes and rivers as required under the federal Clean Water Act. To date, less than a quarter of the state’s lakes and rivers have been tested. The two agencies will receive more than $20 million to develop and implement plans to clean up polluted lakes and rivers.

About $46 million will be available from the Public Facilities Authority to help build or improve sewage treatment plants so fewer pollutants are dumped into rivers and lakes. Meanwhile, the Board of Water and Soil Resources will receive $50 million under the bill, much of it to target non-point source pollution. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will receive $8.2 million, much of it promote to farming techniques to reduce pollution runoff from farms into waterways.

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Frederickson and Koenen Propose New State Veterans Cemetery

St. Paul – Senator Dennis Frederickson (R-New Ulm) and Representative Lyle Koenen (DFL-Clara City) introduced companion bills in the legislature to establish a new State Veterans Cemetery in the Redwood Falls area.

In a report requested by the 2008 legislature, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs determined that the Redwood Falls area is the center of large veteran populations. “Placing a new State Veterans Cemetery in the Redwood Falls area would place the major veteran population concentrations of 14 counties within a 50 mile radius and provide a Veterans Cemetery option to an estimated 22,789 veterans,” the report stated.

“Many veterans would like the honor of being buried in a Veterans Cemetery when they pass on,” said Senator Frederickson. “But the cemetery needs to be within 50 miles of the veterans’ homes to be an option for most veterans and their families.”

“A Veterans Cemetery in our area would have a powerful meaning for many veterans who live in our area,” added Representative Koenen. “I know the community veterans organizations would take great pride in making it a very special place recognizing the service to our country by veterans.”

Senator Jim Vickerman (DFL-Tracy), chair of the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division said, “I want to see this Veterans Cemetery established. The federal government will pay for most of the establishment cost, and our local veterans should have this as an option when the time comes.”

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) provides grants for the construction of new State Veterans Cemeteries. The grants provide for 100% of the cost of construction plus initial basic equipment needed for operation. The state has a long-term obligation in providing for annual operational costs of the cemetery and is responsible for obtaining the land for a potential cemetery.

The only State Veterans Cemetery at the present time is near Little Falls. The other two areas of the state where the veteran population indicates a need for a state veterans cemetery are Northeast (Duluth) and Southeast (Stewartville).

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Senator Frederickson Reminds Constituents of the Digital Television Conversion

“Don’t be surprised when the signal goes digital,” says Frederickson

(St. Paul) State Senator Dennis Frederickson (R-New Ulm) is reminding his constituents of the Digital Television conversion (DTV) scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009. On that date, full-power over-the-air broadcast television stations are required to turn off their analog channels and broadcast exclusively in the digital format. The new technology enables TV stations to provide dramatically clearer pictures and better sound quality. The change from analog signals to digital TV signals was mandated by the United States Congress in 1996.

“If you receive your television signal from cable or satellite, you will be unaffected by the changeover,” said Frederickson. “But, if you’re one of the thousands of Minnesotans who receives their TV through traditional roof top antennas or rabbit ears, you’ll need to upgrade your television set with a converter box to continue receiving free television.”

The converter boxes cost $50 - $70. The federal government is issuing converter box coupons worth $40, with a limit of two per household. The deadline to apply for these coupons is March 31^st 2009. To access these coupons go to www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon, or call 1-888-388-2009. The Federal Communications Commissions has more information at its website: www.dtvanswers.com, or by calling 1-888 CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) and then dialing zero.

“When you get your converter box, do not throw away your antenna, especially a rooftop antenna,” said Frederickson. “You will still need the antenna to tune in your signal.”

Digital Television broadcast will enable TV stations to provide a very clear picture and better sound quality. It will also be capable of interactive programming and enhanced closed captioning. Having the entire American television broadcast industry switch over to digital will free up a large chunk of bandwidth for other services, entrepreneurs, and local government emergency first responders.

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