Dear Neighbors,
It’s been a very busy week in St. Paul with more than a dozen bills coming before the House for debate and votes. As always, every vote I take is viewed through the lens of how it would impact our communities, region, and state. Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to reach out to me to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns.
Senator David J. Tomassoni Memorial Cross Range Expressway
On Wednesday, the Minnesota House of Representatives declared an urgency to immediately pass legislation that will rename a portion of Highway 169 between Marble and Mountain Iron as “Senator David J. Tomassoni Memorial Cross Range Expressway”.
Senator Tomassoni was larger than life and an icon on the Iron Range. His years of public service helped make the Iron Range strong and prosperous. He was a true statesman and is someone I was lucky to call a friend.
Click here or the photo below to watch my comments on the House Floor recognizing and honoring Sen. Tomassoni for his dedication to the Range.
Omnibus Bills Update
As is the case with omnibus bills, many of these legislative packages contain provisions that I support and would vote for if they were allowed to come to the House Floor as standalone bills. Unfortunately, most of them contain what I would consider to be “poison pill” provisions that prevent me from supporting the entirety of the omnibus bill.
This is an unfortunate side effect of the modern lawmaking process in St. Paul because if bills received up or down votes based on their own merits instead of being jammed into massive omnibus bills, I think you would see a lot more bipartisan support.
Despite this disappointment, I was proud to support this year’s Legacy bill which allocates revenue raised by a three-eighths of one percent additional sales tax that was passed by Minnesota voters in the 2008 via the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution.
These dollars are split into four separate accounts:
- Outdoor Heritage
- Clean Water Fund
- Parks and Trails
- Arts and Cultural Heritage
This bill will make sure that Minnesota continues to be a national leader in providing access to the great outdoors.
Gun Control
On Monday and Thursday, two separate gun control bills were approved by the Minnesota House of Representatives. As a supporter of the 2nd Amendment, I refuse to support any bills that restrict law-abiding Minnesotans’ ability to freely exercise this constitutional right that we all have as Americans.
The first bill would criminalize lawful gun owners for failing to report a stolen firearm to law enforcement within a subjective timeframe open to interpretation by a County Attorney.
We should not criminalize the victims of a crime for failing to report that crime. Instead, our efforts should be focused on holding criminals accountable for their actions, not those who have been victimized.
Click here or the photo below to watch my comments on the House Floor about this legislation.
The second bill imposes even more restrictions on law-abiding gun owners by mandating how firearms must be stored inside a private residence. This will make it more difficult for Minnesotans to retrieve their firearms in a self-defense situation.
Staying in Touch
Stay tuned for more updates from St. Paul as the legislative session unfolds. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to my office for any questions, comments, or concerns about the bills, ideas, and issues that matter to all of us at the Capitol! Also, please make sure to share this link with anyone who may be interested in signing up for my newsletter: https://rb.gy/5slax9.
Contact me by phone at 651-296-4936 or via email at rep.spencer.igo@house.mn.gov.
Have a great weekend!
Spencer