Legislative Preview: Sen. Ron Latz

Today through Thursday, St. Louis Park Patch will be introducing you to the three men who represent the city in the state legislature—Sen. Ron Latz, and Reps. Ryan Winkler and Steve Simon.

The 2012 legislative session kicks off today. Throughout the session, St. Louis Park Patch will bring you regular updates on what your legislators are working on and where they stand on the big issues at the Capitol.

Check back tomorrow for a look at Rep. Winkler.

***

Sen. Ron Latz

Party: DFL

District: Senate District 44

Elected: to the House in 2002 and re-elected in 2004; to the Senate in 2006 and re-elected in 2010

Committees: Higher education, Judiciary and Public Safety (ranking member)

Occupation: Attorney

Education: BA, University of Wisconsin-Madison; JD, Harvard Law School

Home: St. Louis Park

Age: 48

Family: Julia Shmidov Latz and three children

Proudest accomplishments in office:

• Passage of Freedom to Breathe Act: Proud to have authored and supported the Freedom to Breathe Act (smoking ban) that protects the health of our workers and cuts health care costs in our state. Was chief author of the legislation as a House member and was a Senate co-author of the legislation that expanded Minnesota’s Clean Indoor Air Act and bans smoking in all bars, restaurants and bingo halls.
• 35W Bridge Collapse Survivor Compensation: Worked with bridge survivors, legislative colleagues, state agencies and legal authorities in the days and months immediately following the collapse to create a $38 million compensation fund that allowed victims to receive up to $400,000 each.  It also created a supplemental account for anyone with extraordinary uncompensated medical expenses, long-term health costs and lost wages.
• The False Claims Act: This legislation will help recover millions of taxpayer dollars stolen by those who knowingly submit false bills to the government. The law is a state counterpart to the federal law which has been in effect since President Lincoln proposed it during the Civil War. The federal government and other states have recaptured hundreds of millions of dollars this way
• Consumer Protection Legislation 
  • Hannah Montana Bill: Legislation that banned use of software that allows ticket brokers to buy large amounts of concert tickets and then re-sell them for inflated prices. Bill passed and signed into law.
  • Debt Protection Bill: Legislation to provide safeguards to Minnesotans against companies that buy consumer debt and use harsh tactics to collect on money owed.

Priorities:

• My key priorities for 2012 are to continue to focus on policies to bolster Minnesota’s economy and create jobs, which includes passage of a reasonable bonding bill. In particular, I will work closely with Governor Dayton to secure $25 million in funding for the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Transit.
• I also will work to oppose the conservative, moral agenda pushed by the GOP majorities reflected in the almost unending barrage of constitutional amendments, which bypass representative democracy and our executive/legislative form of government. I feel our focus this session should be on getting Minnesotans back to work, not forcing a far-right agenda designed to muck up the fall election ballot and our Constitution. 
• In addition, I plan to introduce legislation that will stiffen elder/vulnerable adult abuse penalties. We need to respect our elderly as they advance to their twilight years and to ensure our vulnerable adults are adequately cared for. Our current laws do not adequately penalize those who cause elder and vulnerable adult abuse.
• In my role as lead Democrat, I also intend to be the moderate voice on the Senate’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. The committee deals with consumer protection, criminal, civil issues and family court issues. This past session we debated the Marriage Amendment and the 'Shoot-First' bill, both bills that I strongly opposed. As your state senator, I pledge to be the voice of reason and challenge legislation and ideas that are far-right and that do not reflect the views of our district or the state of Minnesota.
• Finally, as a member of the Senate’s Higher Education Committee, I am committed to ensuring that a college degree remains affordable for Minnesota students and their families. I strongly opposed the huge cuts the GOP majorities made to higher education this year, and will again be the voice of reason on this crucial committee.