Dear Neighbor,
Just some quick jottings I’d like to pass along today to provide information on some subjects people are asking about.
First of all, the case regarding Gov. Mark Dayton’s attempt to eliminate the Legislature’s funding is back in the hands of the Supreme Court. The sides had been participating in court-ordered mediation in an effort to find an agreeable solution, but the governor walked out on discussions and ended that process. Stay tuned as things develop.
The state also continues working to achieve compliance with new federal ID standards by implementing the Real ID program that was enacted earlier this year.
Reports indicate state officials came away from a recent meeting with Homeland Security assured the feds will honor our request for an extension. They also noted that official word might not come soon from DHS since the department is focusing on hurricane relief efforts. The feds say states that continue to make progress with compliance will continue to receive extensions and that the drop-dead deadline for compliance comes in 2020, when new IDs will be required for all travelers.
The bottom line from the governor’s office is this: “All Minnesotans should rest assured that they can continue to board airplanes and access federal facilities, as Minnesota works to fully implement Real ID and comply with federal requirements.”
On a final note, I encourage local election jurisdictions to take advantage of new grants available to help defray the costs of upgrading voting equipment.
Precincts throughout the state have expressed concern over aging, failing voting systems. Earlier this year, legislation passed to provide $7 million in grant funding to help entities update their systems. Grants of up to $5,000 per precinct may be made to purchase any combination of optical scan counters, assistive voting devices, or electronic rosters until the appropriation is exhausted.
More information is available by clicking here or by calling (651) 556-0642.
Sincerely,
Paul