What does your legislator, Sandy Wollschlager,

do in her role as your representative?


Home: Sandy knows the importance of family.

Sandy is a wife and a mother. While her children are grown, they are active young people who still benefit from parental guidance and advise. Her husband,
Joe, works as a project manager for a large mechanical contractor, participates in the caring for their children, the household, a horse and a donkey, and the never ending campaigns for Sandy’s office. As the saying goes, if you want something done, give it to a busy person and it will get done.


When her kids were teenagers, Sandy went to college, first to earn a degree in chemistry and then again, full time, to get a master’s degree in Public Administration.






Work: Sandy has proven she works hard.

Sandy has a part-time job with the 3M Company. As a Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist she must continuously study new government environmental regulations, decide how they impact 3M, and advise others on necessary actions. She is an internal regulatory consultant within a major 3M business group. Her job requires knowledge, and a skill in juggling a lot of balls.


Your Legislator: Sandy looks out for her constituents.



Sandy is a state legislator. She is also vice chair of the Taxes Committee which involves review and processing of just about every bill submitted to the house floor. The Taxes Committee oversees all the major revenue raisers for the
State of Minnesota, including: income taxes, sales tax and corporate taxes. The vice chair position, by the way, represents a level of influence and responsibility normally not assigned to freshmen representatives. This recognition is normally only received after several years of service and many re-election campaigns. She was handed the position in her first year.


She is also member of the Veterans Affairs Division Policy Committee placing her in an excellent positions to influence veterans legislation. Furthermore, as a member of the Government Operations Reform, Technology, and Elections Policy Committee, she directly influences how the Minnesota Government works.




Sandy has an office on the third floor of the State Office Building and a legislative assistant shared with another legislator. Then there are additional staff for each of the Committees. More than 2550 bills were introduced in the 2007 session with a a large number heard in various committees.


Every bill involving money went through hearings in the Taxes Committee. Additionally, numerous bills were heard in the Veterans and Government Operations committees. The tax committee meets three times a week during the session,
The Veterans and Government operations Committees have their own meetings. Each bill involves reading, hearing testimony, asking questions and making decisions.


In 2007 150 bills were presented to the Governor. Sandy has one vote for each bill. To cast an informed vote, she must know what the bill is all about. That takes time in reading, listening, and debating. She was chief author on 8 bills and co-author of 62 bills that were introduced. Some of these bills will be handled in 2008, the second half of this biennium. She also weighed in on issues such as the I-35 Bridge collapse and the funding of the Vikings stadium.




She has studied issues, such as Iraq veterans returning to society, funding of the Vikings stadium, and assuring a politically independent judiciary. She is highly visible and has been quoted in the press in area papers, the Session Weekly, and other papers in Bemidji, Rochester, St. Paul, and Minneapolis. She is respected across the isle and up and down the DFL chain of command.




Your representative:

Sandy makes herself directly available to the people in her District.

Sandy is a representative of District 28A—and takes this duty seriously.


As a newly appointed legislative commissioner to the Mississippi River Parkway Commission, she promoted and won approval from the Minnesota commissioners to recommend Red WIng as the location for the 2009 National Great River Road Conference. The Commission, meeting in Quincy, IL., approved the proposal.


For the first time ever, Red Wing also became the location of a Minnesota Education Finance Committee hearing as a result of Sandy’s invitation, making it easier for people from Red Wing  and the surrounding area to attend the hearing and offer comments—which they did. Offering inputs were a teacher, a recent high school graduate, a grandmother, school administrators, parents, a finance director, etc. They used this rare opportunity to tell lawmakers where education dollars should go.


She is starting out 2008 with new initiatives in preparation for this year’s session:


The economy is increasingly on everyones mind. In the belief that it is important to provide information to the public Sandy arranged to have the State Economist, Tom Stinson, and the State
Demographer, Tom Gillaspy, come to Cannon Falls for a presentation on economic trends impacting Minnesotans and Cannon Falls, and to answer questions from the audience. This picture was taken at the Cannon Falls unit of the Northfield League of Women Voters’ Forum held  in Cannon Falls on February 9, 2008 and shows Sandy with Tom Gillaspy and Tom Stinson.


Picture came from Rosie’s Blog where you can read more details. The talks were videotaped making them available for others to see.



Town Hall meetings were held in Cannon Falls, Red Wing, and Lake City. Meetings with Chamber of Commerce members were held in Lake City and Cannon Falls.


She attends graduations, funerals, meetings, gives talks, writes columns/ articles for the newspapers, helps constituents that can not make it to her office (Great River Homes, for ex.) entertains visitors from schools and organizations,
gives them tours, participates in parades in Cannon Falls, Vasa, Goodhue, Red Wing, Lake City, and Wabasha; participates in baking competitions, and sponsors 4H animals at the county fairs.


She gave a commencement address, observed civil court in Wabasha, reviewed upcoming veterans legislation with members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Cannon Falls, Red Wing, Lake City, and Bellechester.


She visited with local industries such as Red Wing Shoes, Hearth and Home Technologies in Lake City, USG Interiors, Inc. in Red Wing, J&B Pallet Company and Pepin Heights Orchard in Lake City. She participated in the Plainview town hall meeting arranged by Congressman Tim Waltz addressing the 2007 Farmbill.




She attended the Wabasha Riverboat Day Festival, the opening of the National Eagle Center, the special legislative session on September 11 providing disaster relief to Southeast Minnesota, the Cannon Falls Education Foundation fund raiser, the Veterans Day celebration at the Capitol, the Frontenac State Park Association 50th anniversary celebration, the World War II Veterans Memorial dedication. She contributed to the groundwork that resulted in creation of the Poet Laureate position in Red Wing.


Etc…!



You can visit Sandy in Room 335 in the State Office
Building. In her personalized office, she has a collection of art and books from the Cannon and Hiawatha Valleys:


  2. Originals

  3. BulletCasein painting by Len Guggenberger, Red Wing

  4. BulletWater color by Ron Hunt, Lake City

  5. BulletWater color by Marge Vogel, Red Wing

  6. BulletMixed media by Nancy Murphy, Frontenac

  7.  

  8. Pottery

  9. BulletJeff Larkin, Featherstone Township

  10. BulletAngela Foley, Red Wing

  11. BulletLisa Dolezal, Cannon Falls


  13. Books

  14. Bullet“Roots and Wings” by Connie Bickman

  15. Bullet Lake City, Minnesota, Our Historical Journey published in 2007 by The Lake City Historical Society


  17. Photography

  18. BulletWacouta Township by David Husom, Hager City, WI

  19. BulletSteam train by Chap Achen, Red Wing

  20. BulletSandy and farm animal by Ann-Marie Rose, Hager City, WI

  21.  

  22. Color Prints

  23. BulletDan Wiemer, Red Wing

  24. BulletLarry Veeder, Red Wing

  25. BulletB.J. Norman, Vasa

  26. BulletBecky Jokela, Cannon Falls

  27.  

  28. Posters

  29. BulletArt Kenyon, Red Wing

  30. BulletNancy Murphy, Frontenac

  31. BulletAnn-Marie Rose, Hager City, WI

  32. BulletArdee Rosasco, Red Wing

 

In 2007, a Kimono lent by Richard and Jan Fuller, owners of Wind Whisper West of Wabasha.


For 2008, a Dakota Star design blanket lent by the Prairie Island Indian tribe.


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Table of Contents to help you get to know Sandy Welcome and Update Report on 2007 Report on 2008 What Does Sandy Do? Sandy’s Capitol Blog Legislative Committees Why Sandy is Right Family Photos Job Approach Issues of Concern Endorsements A Special High School Commencement Address Supporters Comments of Support Letters of Support The Campaign Staff DONATE District 28 A Map Advisory Board Where to vote: ----Goodhue County ----Wabasha County Campaign Photos Legislative Photos Kids/students, go here to download pictures Support of 4-H Photos Young People Photos Special Guest Photos Signs by Children for Sandy—Photos Sandy Sing-A-LongWelcome_and_Update.htmlReport_on_2007.htmlReport_on_2008.htmlBlog/Blog.htmlLegislative_Committees.htmlWhy_Sandy_is_Right.htmlFamily_Photos.htmlJob_Approach.htmlIssues_of_Concern.htmlEndorsements.htmlCommencement_address.htmlCommencement_address.htmlCommencement_address.htmlSupporters.htmlComments_of_Support.htmlLetters_of_Support.htmlThe_Campaign_Staff.htmlDonate.htmlDistrict_28A_Map.htmlAdvisory_Board.htmlWhere_to_Vote-Goodhue.htmlWhere_to_Vote-Wabasha.htmlCampaign_Photos.htmlLegislative_Photos.htmlKids-Go_Here_for_Photos.htmlKids-Go_Here_for_Photos.htmlSupport_of_4-H_Photos.htmlYoung_People_Photos.htmlSpecial_Guest_Photos.htmlSigns_by_Children_for_Sandy.htmlSigns_by_Children_for_Sandy.htmlSandy_Sing-A-Long.htmlshapeimage_8_link_0shapeimage_8_link_1shapeimage_8_link_2shapeimage_8_link_3shapeimage_8_link_4shapeimage_8_link_5shapeimage_8_link_6shapeimage_8_link_7shapeimage_8_link_8shapeimage_8_link_9shapeimage_8_link_10shapeimage_8_link_11shapeimage_8_link_12shapeimage_8_link_13shapeimage_8_link_14shapeimage_8_link_15shapeimage_8_link_16shapeimage_8_link_17shapeimage_8_link_18shapeimage_8_link_19shapeimage_8_link_20shapeimage_8_link_21shapeimage_8_link_22shapeimage_8_link_23shapeimage_8_link_24shapeimage_8_link_25shapeimage_8_link_26shapeimage_8_link_27shapeimage_8_link_28shapeimage_8_link_29shapeimage_8_link_30shapeimage_8_link_31shapeimage_8_link_32