As always, thank you for tuning in to events here at the capitol. It’s been a busy first few weeks and I’ve been glad to see so many constituents come visit me in St. Paul.
Below are just some of the highlights and topics being discussed. I appreciate you all sharing your thoughts and concerns with me and look forward to another long week.
Senate Budget Targets Released
Last Friday, Gov. Tim Walz released his revised budget proposal. The DFL House and Republican Senate also released their budget recommendations this week. The three budgets provide an opportunity to highlight the difference in values in divided government. You can watch my response to the Senate Republicans budget recommendations on higher education below:
Labor unions support Minnesota families
The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) shared a Day on the Hill this week. MAPE is a local labor union that advocates on behalf of federal employees and emphasizes sound democracy and active citizenship. Similarly, AFSCME is a nation-wide union that promotes public service employees and emphasizes the importance of fairness in the workplace and equal opportunities for working families. Combined, the two groups are composed of over 60,000 workers across the state of Minnesota.
The two unions also hosted their first-ever combined rally in the Capitol Rotunda. Members of MAPE and the Minnesota branch of AFSCME spoke to supporters and union members, commending their dedication and calling out for a solution to underfunded public services. Speakers, including Governor Walz, advocated for increased funding for correctional facilities and the prioritization of public safety over profits, among other things. Walz emphasized the value that is placed upon public service employees who are dedicated to improving the lives of Minnesotans.
I had the chance to meet with a group of constituents this week from AFSCME and MAPE about their goals and to help draw attention to their legislative priorities for the remainder of the session.
As always, thank you for tuning in to events here at the capitol. It’s been a busy first few weeks and I’ve been glad to see so many constituents come visit me in St. Paul.
Below are just some of the highlights and topics being discussed. I appreciate you all sharing your thoughts and concerns with me and look forward to another long week.
Deputy registrar relief passes
Legislation to provide deputy registrars with $13 million for grants to reimburse them for costs incurred due to lost business productivity from the problematic rollout of MNLARS passed off the Senate floor this week on a 60-6 vote. Deputy registrars, in addition to public Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) offices, process driver’s licenses, titles, and tabs. MNLARS is the software system rolled out in 2017 that ended up creating some problems for deputy registrars.
One significant issue with the bill is that it would hold state taxpayers liable if someone sues a deputy registrar due to issues with MNLARS. The state would be required to pay any fines based on a court judgement, attorney fees of deputy registrars, and potentially the attorney fees of the plaintiff. This language is problematic. The House does not include this provision, and the differences will need to be worked out in conference committee. (SF 621)
Mitchell’s Law Advances to Judiciary
Mitchell’s Law is a bill I introduced this session that would give drivers licence applicants an option to put emergency contacts in the database in the event of an accident. Mitchell’s Law had it’s first hearing in the Transportation Finance and Policy committee on Wednesday. The bill was passed and was re-referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. (S.F. 746)
It was a busy week here at the capitol with the first legislative deadline of the 2019 session and many rallies and days on the hill. The first deadline requires policy bills to have had their first hearing in the committee of origin unless the companion bill in the House has been heard. Finance, tax, and capital investment bills do not have to meet this deadline. As always, thank you for tuning in to events here at the capitol. It’s been a busy first few weeks and I’ve been glad to see so many constituents come visit me in St. Paul.
Below are just some of the highlights and topics being discussed. I appreciate you all sharing your thoughts and concerns with me and look forward to another long week.
College Promise would give more students a chance at higher education
A bill that I am chief authoring was heard in the Higher Education committee this week. This bill creates a community and technical college grant program for Minnesota residents enrolled in a community or technical college to pay for tuition and fees. This program would phase-in the percentage paid until 100 percent implementation in 10 years.The grants will cover tuition, fees and course material costs for student, minus any federal Pell grant, state grant or scholarship the student receives.
In 2017, 58,374 students earned high school diplomas, but 41,447 enrolled in higher education institution within 16 months. Studies show that individuals with bachelor’s degrees, no matter the field, earn more over their lifetimes than counterparts with some college ($1.55 million in lifetime earnings) or a high school diploma ($1.30 million lifetime).
A similar bill was also heard in committee. These bills start a needed conversation regarding college affordability. The two bills were laid over for further discussion while the committee awaits fiscal notes for the legislation. (SF 1308, SF 956)
Calling on the Minnesota Senate to take up gun violence prevention bills
Hundreds of students, mothers, and other advocates joined together at the Capitol this week, in support of legislation for gun violence prevention in the state of Minnesota. The event was organized by the Minnesota chapter of Moms Demand Action and the Everytown Survivor Network to urge the Minnesota Senate to hold hearings on two bills that would require criminal background checks on gun sales in Minnesota and enact red flag laws.
Moms Demand Action is a nationwide grassroots movement advocating for public safety measures that protect people from gun violence. Like the other 49 chapters across the country, Minnesota’s Moms Demand Action seeks stronger solutions to the casual gun laws and loopholes that have normalized gun violence and threatened public safety nationwide.
Though bills to close dangerous loopholes have overwhelming support from the public and have moved through House committees, the Senate majority leadership refuses to hear bills on this serious issue. With a strong commitment to protecting Minnesotans’ right to public safety, many in the Senate will continue to advocate for gun violence prevention in the state. (SF 436, SF 434)
I had the opportunity to meet with a group of constituents from Moms Demand Action on Wednesday.
Bipartisan bills would ban the use of TCE and provide oversight of Water Gremlin settlement proceeds
This week also brought more action from myself and a fellow bipartisan group of legislators regarding the TCE emissions in the district. Two bills were heard this week to continue to address the Water Gremlin situation in White Bear Lake. The legislation is aimed at strengthening public protections, transparency, and accountability. The bills call for an outright ban on the use of TCE, the creation of a TCE Emission Response Account to manage the proceeds of the Water Gremlin settlement, and more thorough plan for communicating with the public during potential future incidents.
From left to right: Sen. Chuck Wiger (DFL-Maplewood),Sen. Roger Chamberlain (R-Lino Lakes), Sen. Jason Isaacson (DFL-Shoreview)
It was a busy week here at the capitol with legislative deadlines approaching and many rallies and days on the hill. This past week brought the passage of the Legislature’s first two bills off of the floor, as well as a number of bills focused on mental health and additional calls for full HAVA funding. As always, thank you for tuning in to events here at the capitol. It’s been a busy first few weeks and I’ve been glad to see so many constituents come visit me in St. Paul.
Below are just some of the highlights and topics being discussed. I appreciate you all sharing your thoughts and concerns with me and look forward to another long week.
First pieces of legislation pass off Senate floor, advocates rally at the Capitol
The ninth week of the 2019 session wraps up this week, with the legislature having passed two bills so far. MNLARS funding and a small bonding bill for clean-up of a toxic closed landfill in Andover and technical fixes to construction bonds for Highway 14 and Highway 23 were both passed and signed into law by Governor Walz.
After nine weeks, promises of early passage of a number of agreed upon bills have not transpired. Many of the bills legislative leaders said would pass early, including opioid relief, hands-free driving, full funding for election security, and initiatives to help protect seniors remain unfinished.
Committee highlights from this week include a number of bills addressing mental health issues in rural Minnesota, provisional ballots, an estate tax repeal, and a bill to cut social security taxes. Reinsurance was heard in Finance Committee, a bill to reimburse deputy registrars had a committee hearing, and a bill to punish those who drive too slow in the left lane was also debated.
Monday was also my first bill hearing of the session. S.F. 1741 was heard in the Committee on Human Services Reform Finance and Policy. You can follow the bill here.
As this week wraps up, I wanted to send a special thank you to all those who attended the town hall this past Saturday. I always look forward to meeting and speaking with you!
Mental health a focus in committee Building out Minnesota’s mental health system was a theme this week in the Human Services Reform Committee. Three bipartisan bills were heard that will improve access to mental health services for children and adults across the spectrum of care.
The first bill is targeted at early intervention services and includes grants to provide intensive treatment for children and adults at risk of a first psychotic episode or first episode of a mood disorder. Access to early mental health treatment services can make a significant difference in health outcomes.
The second bill addresses the lack of mental health professionals available across the state by expanding grants for residency to support psychiatry slots, creating a pediatric mental health training program at the University of Minnesota, providing more funding for loan forgiveness for mental health professionals, and extending available grants to traditional healing provided to American Indians.
The third bill focuses on mental health treatment that supports families by allowing parents in need of intensive mental health treatment to access child care assistance through the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), making it easier for certain children to access respite care services, and expanding mental health grants to programs focusing on delivering multigenerational mental health services.
Minnesota still faces many gaps in the continuum of care for mental health services. The legislation heard this week makes several improvements necessary to helping more children and adults access the services they need to improve their health and well-being. (SF840, SF1481, SF1437)
Sports betting in Minnesota The Senate Tax Committee considered a proposal this week to legalize sports wagering in Minnesota and collect taxes on the earnings. This is a new topic since last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which found a federal ban on the practice in all states but Nevada was unconstitutional. Since that ruling, seven additional states (DE, NJ, MS, WV, NM, PA, RI) have moved to legalize sports betting in some format. The Senate bill would establish a Sports Wagering Commission that would be responsible for many rules and regulations surrounding the new form of gaming, including determining which sporting events could legally be bet upon.
Advocates for this bill say sports betting is already happening through unregulated forms. Providing for a legal structure in Minnesota would provide recourse for consumers who are cheated through the underground market and would provide regulation and tax revenue. Opponents include those against gambling, who see this as an expansion of a dangerous habit and something that could encourage a new generation of gamblers. Minnesota’s tribal communities also have expressed serious concerns. They fear rushing to legalize this could degrade Minnesota’s current legal gaming structures, including tribal casinos, charitable gaming operations, and the state lottery. They prefer a study that assesses other states’ experiences before moving toward full legalization in Minnesota. The bill was referred to the Committee on State Government. (SF 1894)
New Legislation:
S.F. 2077: requiring disclosures regarding gas fireplaces for safety reasons
As always, thank you for tuning in to events here at the capitol. It’s been a busy first few weeks and I’ve been glad to see so many constituents come visit me in St. Paul.
Below are just some of the highlights and topics being discussed. I appreciate you all sharing your thoughts and concerns with me and look forward to another long week.
February budget forecast is released
The big news this week was the release of the February budget forecast which sets the terms of debate for the two-year budget. The forecast projects how much money the state is likely to have for the upcoming biennium. Minnesota Management and Budget estimates a $1 billion budgetary balance which is $492 million less than the November 2018 forecast. It’s important to be cautious when the state’s budget balance decreases and diligent in working to balance any new investments with additional revenue.
In other notable action, after numerous delays and vigorous debate on the Senate floor, only $1.5 million of the $6.6 million in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds passed the Minnesota Senate. Minnesota was the only state in the nation that did not pass full federal funding to strengthen election security. Full funding for HAVA passed in the House on February 21, on a bipartisan vote of 105-23.
Other press conferences held this week included an anti-poverty press conference and a press conference to ban private prisons in the state. A number of groups held their “Day on the Hill” including: STEM Advocacy, Rally for Health freedom, Volunteer Administration Day, Muslim Day, African Heritage Day, Corrections Officer Day, ClearWay, YMCA, Private Colleges, Pediatric Home Service, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Dignity in our Democracy, Dyslexia Day, FFA Day, and Take Action Day.
I had the pleasure of speaking Epilepsy Advocacy Day on Wednesday about the importance of advocacy and Mitchell’s law (S.F. 746), which I have the honor of carrying this session.
Youth Skills Training Press Conference
I have signed onto bipartisan legislation (SF 1265/HF 1504) that would expand the Youth Skills Training Program here in Minnesota. The Youth Skills Training program was originally signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton as a pilot program in 2017. The Youth Skills Training Program connects classroom learning with on-the-job experience for high school students over the age of 16. Students complete internships with local employers to prepare them for careers and further post-secondary education. The Youth Skills Training Program creates many jobs and opportunities for students in various communities where it is being implemented. See the video of my full speech below.
Bill would help provide mental health services at college campuses
A bill heard in the Higher Education Committee this week would provide funding for MinnState officials to contract with independent mental health organizations for providing mental health services on up to five state college campuses. The bill also requires the mental health providers to give information and guidance to students seeking health insurance.
The bill would provide $250,000 to support the five programs. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus higher education budget bill. (SF 1017)
New Legislation:
S.F. 1929: Appropriating money for state employee salaries in the event of nonappropriation or shutdown
S.F. 1927: appropriating money for the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program.
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