Dear Neighbor,
Hello from the House, where we are reaching the end of the first month in the 2023 session with a number of bills coming to the floor for votes and a whole lot more moving through the committee process at an unprecedented rate.
I serve as the lead Republican on the Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee and much of our time early this session has been spent receiving updates on the various programs overseen at the state level by the Dept. of Ag. New this year is that broadband has been added to the committee's jurisdiction. We heard a report from the Office of Broadband on how $100 million in grants was recently awarded, with another $67 million to soon follow. Several projects in our district were on the list, including one for southern Pope County, one in western Stearns County, and one including Stevens and Grant counties.
As a member of the House committee on property taxes as well, a couple of bills we discussed this week could warrant passage. One bill provides permanent, stable funding for our Soil and Water Conservation Districts. I support our SWCDs and this is a good idea.
Another bill we heard regarding property taxes revamps the state’s Payment In Lieu of Taxes structure. The PILT program compensates local units of government to offset losses which occur when land is taken off the tax roll, such as when the state purchases acres. The bill would adjust payment rates in parts of the state containing larger portions of state land to help taxpayers that currently are overburdened.
The biggest news from the floor this week is the House majority approved a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain the same Class D Minnesota driver’s license as Minnesotans who choose not to apply for Real ID or an enhanced driver’s license. While good arguments can be made for this action, there also are strong concerns regarding a lack of safeguards in the bill to prevent fraudulent use of the license.
As written, the bill threatens the election process by failing to include a “not for voting purposes” designation on this new license, which could create tens of thousands of potential new, and illegal, voters. House Republicans offered a number of common-sense amendments, including adding the “not for voting purposes” language – which House Democrats previously had agreed to – but the majority blocked them all.
On a final note, a handful of anti-gun bills are scheduled to receive hearings in a House Public Safety Finance & Policy Committee meeting this morning. One of the more controversial proposals is a Red Flag bill (HF 15), which eliminates due process by allowing people to petition a court to prohibit someone from possessing firearms if they “pose a significant danger to themselves or others by possessing a firearm.”
Violent crime remains abnormally high in our state and must be addressed. But these anti-gun bills would seem to place more of a burden on law-abiding citizens than deter bad actors. We could do much better to rid our state of senseless shootings by enforcing current laws and adhering to sentencing guidelines to stop the revolving door in our courts.
Watch for more notes from the Capitol on these and other subjects. Until next time, enjoy the warmer weather that’s in the weekend forecast.
Sincerely,
Paul