Dear Neighbors,
We are less than two weeks out from the end of the 2018 legislative session and we have been working hard to ensure an orderly end to this year’s session. Much of our time this week has been spent on the House floor approving standalone bills on a wide variety of issues.
One piece of legislation, which was passed with bipartisan support, increases the penalty for obstructing traffic access to an airport or on a trunk highway and obstructing public transit.
Blocking traffic and public transit is already a crime, however the current penalty does little to deter individuals from putting themselves and the public in danger. This is a common-sense approach that I hope helps ensure individuals looking to protest, do so in a safe manner.
The House continues to push for a plan that would utilize excess funds from the Vikings stadium revenue account and put it towards the funding of three new veterans homes in Montevideo, Bemidji, and Preston.
The Vikings stadium reserve currently has an excess balance of $58 million and the reserve is expected to grow to $120 million by the end of fiscal year 2021.
The location in Montevideo is close to 12A and would be able to serve veterans in our area.
Unfortunately, Governor Dayton has signaled that he is not supportive of using funds from this account to build these homes. This is disappointing as our veterans have served our country admirably and we should do our part to serve them. I am hopeful that Governor Dayton will change his mind and support this legislation—bringing these much needed veterans homes to our state.
Finally, we received assurance this week from the federal government that Minnesota drivers’ licenses will be suitable for boarding airplanes until at least October, 2020. This is great news as we start to roll out the REAL ID compliant licenses this fall—well in advance of this deadline.
Staying Connected
6th graders from Ashby Elementary visited this week!
That’s all for this week’s update. Please be sure to stay in touch as we move into the final weeks of session. As always, I can be reached by phone at either 651-296-4929 or 701-361-1909. I can also be reached via email atrep.jeff.backer@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Jeff