By Sen. Linda Berglin, Senator from District 61,
“I have taken a job with Hennepin County that excites me because it will give me the opportunity to improve outcomes for many of the people I have served in the legislature. It also means I will be part of the effort to help Hennepin County and its partners succeed in implementing heath care reform.
This does mean however, now that the state budget has been resolved, that I will be resigning my seat in the State Senate effective August 15, 2011. I want to take this opportunity to thank my constituents who have sent me to the legislature for many years. It has been rewarding for me to work on public policy that has improved the lives of many Minnesotans. I have had the opportunity also to work with many organizations that have helped me learn so much.
Some of the highlights of my career include working on health care cost containment and access to affordable health care, mental health reforms to help people be served in the community, jobs for people with disabilities as well as single parents, pay equity for state and local government employees, community-based services to help frail elderly stay in their homes, and improved quality of child care.
During the last six months, I have felt that my talents and skills have been underutilized in the Minnesota Senate. As I see so much of what I have worked on over the years being chipped away or repealed entirely, I worry that our state is moving away from the community spirit that has made us such a great place.
In the future, there will be others in the legislature and the Dayton administration who will step up to the plate to do the unfinished work of health care reform, as well as standing up for the needs of our most vulnerable citizens.
I look forward to continuing to use what I have learned in the legislature and to continue learning as I work now at the ground level to make policies I have worked on at the state level work for people in the community.”
