Greetings from the Capitol!
Last week, the Governor was not serious about negotiating with the Legislature, so the House and Senate went to work without him by passing each budget bill and sending them to his desk. Unfortunately, he vetoed all of them; even though each of the bills that were passed by the Legislature contained funding and policy provisions recommended by either the Governor, or his administration. Since then, he has been more active in the negotiation process. We will be working through the weekend to come to an agreement on all aspects of the budget, hopefully, before Monday at midnight.
REAL ID:
This week, the House and Senate both passed House File 3 and the Governor has signed it into law, making Minnesota REAL ID compliant. In case you may have forgotten: REAL ID was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2005 with the intention of making it more difficult for potential terrorists to falsify an identification card.
Due to the passage of this bill, Minnesotans will be able to continue to board airplanes, as well as visit military bases and federal facilities while using the appropriate identification. The differences between the new REAL ID and a current driver's license are minimal. The REAL ID verifies the license holder’s legal status within the United States and ensures residence of only one state. In order to address some people’s concerns about privacy, the bill that has passed allows for a dual-track system. Minnesotans will be able to either apply to get a REAL ID, or use their current state driver's license and a passport as their form of identification.
With all that said, I still have some issues with REAL ID, so I decided to vote against the bill. The main concern that I have is that the federal government can change the official purpose of REAL ID without Congressional approval. I would be more comfortable with Minnesota becoming REAL ID compliant if this could be clarified by Congress.
To learn more on REAL ID, check out the Star Tribune’s FAQ's.
Ending Female Genital Mutilation in MN (HF 2621):
I continue to pray that this vital piece of legislation can be heard and passed by the Senate before the end of session, so we can be one step closer to further criminalizing this heinous act.
Stay In Touch:
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-3201 or rep.mary.franson@house.mn. I would love to hear from you.
I truly represent the best!
