By Rep. Paul Anderson
One concern voiced in recent years about legislative action was that all the major bills were done in the last few days at the end of session. That can lead to a lack of transparency and even a mistake or two. The much-publicized one-word mistake in last year’s tax bill was the reason Gov. Dayton gave for vetoing the bill.
I will quickly add that mistakes can and do happen in these bills, which can be complicated and full of legal jargon. Because of that, the last bill usually done each year is called a “revisor’s bill,” where all the small incidental and grammatical mistakes are corrected.
Earlier this week, leadership in the House and Senate announced committee deadlines for the current session. Granted, the session began earlier this year than last, but the deadlines are a month earlier than in 2016. The first deadline is March 10, when bills must be heard in at least one committee. The second deadline is March 17, when bills that are the same or similar must be heard in the other body. And the final deadline is March 31 when finance bills must be heard. Hopefully, this schedule will result in a more orderly end of session, with time allowed to correct mistakes or work with the governor on bills he won’t sign.
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A bill dealing with the recent MnDOT rules concerning ditch mowing is scheduled for a hearing in the Transportation Policy Committee this week, on Wednesday, the 15th. The original bill language dealt with all “road authorities,” which includes townships and counties, in addition to MnDOT. I would prefer that the bill have its scope narrowed and concentrate on state highway ditches only. We will see what happens at the hearing, where it’s expected several outstate residents will testify about their concerns with the new ditch mowing rules that require permits and liability coverage for those who want to mow grass in ditches.
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Last weekend was busy as I attended community meetings in all three District 12B counties. Health insurance was one of the top issues discussed at all the meetings, along with concerns about property taxes. Real ID also was a discussion point.
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Sen. Torrey Westrom and I are planning to host a series of town hall meetings next week, on Friday, Feb. 24. Stay tuned for final details about times and locations, either through e-mail updates or in my newspaper column next week.
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Here’s a correction on an item in last week’s column dealing with local labor laws enacted by Minneapolis and St. Paul. I said both had already passed rules mandating a $15 per hour minimum wage in addition to paid time off. They have not formally passed the minimum wage increase yet.
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