Dear Neighbors,
It’s been a busy week at the Capitol. We worked right through Presidents’ Day and will have long nights ahead as committees try to pass bills before the first deadline, March 10. That’s the date by which policy bills must clear their committees in either the House or Senate to survive for the session. Here are a few of the issues before us:
Sunday Sales
On Monday, the House voted 85 to 45 to approve Sunday liquor sales, between 10 am and 6 pm. This issue is being heavily lobbied by interests on both sides. However, when I became interested in the issue the only lobbying was against the change. In 2013, I offered an amendment to remove the ban but it failed 106-21 in the House. Since then, I and a few other legislators—such as GOP Rep. Steve Drazkowsk—have continued to push for the change because customers want to shop when it suits their own schedules and because we agree that government should not tell businesses which days they can be open. If the term “free market” has any meaning at all, it has to mean that stores can make their own business decisions about when to be open.
Often when someone is opposed to a legislative proposal they complain that it should not be a priority, and that has certainly been said about removing the ban on Sunday liquor sales. There are many more important things on the agenda right now, but that is always the case. In fact, the legislature is always handling many issues at the same time and that’s good—except when too many are left to the last minute.
Bills Tonight
Tonight we’ll be hearing three bills on the House floor. HF 3 would bring Minnesota into compliance with the federal Real ID requirements, allowing Minnesotans to board airplanes and enter federal and military facilities. Although I continue to believe that drivers’ licenses should be a state function, I support the compliance because Minnesotans will be very inconvenienced if we don’t comply. Unfortunately, the bill under consideration has a “poison pill” provision that would prevent undocumented people from being able to legally drive a car.
With the new president now threatening to round up undocumented people, this issue has become even more important. Many undocumented people in Minnesota are otherwise law-abiding, have lived here a long time, hold jobs, have families (and children born in the US), and are important in their communities. Denying them the ability to get a legal drivers’ license creates additional stress on their families and effectively means that more unlicensed and uninsured drivers are sharing the road with the rest of us. I hope the Republican majorities in the House and Senate will do the right thing and allow Real ID to stand on its own.
HF 400 thrusts Minnesota into questions of foreign policy where I don’t think it belongs. The bill is in reaction to the so-called BDS movement, which calls for organizations (including government) to Boycott, Divest from, and Sanction Israel, and it would prohibit Minnesota from contracting with any businesses that “discriminate” against Israel. While I often don’t agree with the current Israeli government, I support Israel and have resisted calls for the state to get involved in BDS. However, I am strongly opposed to having government punishing businesses over their relationship (or lack thereof) with another nation. Legislators are using this bill to show their support for Israel, which I would encourage them to do through other means. The bill raises serious constitutional questions.
We’ll also be hearing HF 434, a non-controversial bill that provides funds for BWSR (Board of Soil and Water Resources) to acquire wetland banking credits to replace wetlands that are drained or filled as a result of local road projects.
Minnesota Care Buy-In
Although the legislature finally passed Governor Dayton’s insurance discount program for 2017, nothing has yet been done to insure that there will be plans available for sale for 2018 or that they will be affordable. The governor and DFL legislators have proposed an immediate solution.
Twenty-five years ago, the MinnesotaCare program was created to provide health insurance to working but low-income Minnesotans. The program has allowed 100,000 Minnesotans to purchase high-quality, lower cost health care coverage. Governor Dayton is proposing to expand the program by giving those who purchase their insurance on the individual insurance market the opportunity to ‘buy-in’ to MinnesotaCare by paying a premium. This would provide an insurance option that could not drop out of the marketplace or be canceled.
MinnesotaCare includes a broad network of care providers and physicians all across the state, so enrollees would have wide choice of providers.
For more information on this proposal, click here.
As we work to increase access to affordable healthcare, this plan is the best way to insure that Minnesotans can purchase individual insurance policies for 2018 and 2019.
Regents Selection
A joint convention of the House and Senate met last night to elect Regents to govern the University of Minnesota. This year, four Regents we’re elected, one each from the 2nd, 3rd and 8th Congressional Districts and one at-large to serve six-year terms. The Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC), chaired by our own Mayor Ardell Brede, interviewed 17 candidates. Twelve candidates were forwarded to the Joint Legislative Committee.
As always happens, the selection process has become quite political. Republicans, who hold majorities in the House and Senate, put forward a last-minute partisan candidate who was not vetted by the RCAC.
A seat on the Board of Regents is a huge honor and responsibility. Congratulations to Former House Speaker Steve Sviggum, General Mills CEO Ken Powell, health care executive Darrin Rosha and Minnesota Power’s David McMillan were elected (or re-elected) to six year terms as Regents of the University of Minnesota. I wish them the best and hope they will fulfill their duties in the best interests of the University and the state.
Constituent visits
It’s been fun to see a lot of constituents at the Capitol recently. Groups have included Physician Assistants, Rochester officials, Library Day constituents, Occupational Therapists, Athletic Trainers, and our local public TV station, KSMQ.
(Meeting with librarians)
(Meeting with occupational therapy students)
(Meeting with physician assistants)
(Meeting with students from Rochester Community and Technical College)
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with comments, questions, and concerns.
Warmly,
Tina
P.S.: Please don’t hesitate to forward this email to your friends and neighbors so they can sign up for my e-updates.