Dear Neighbors,
I appreciated the feedback I’ve received from last week’s newsletter where I discussed omnibus bills and the harmful role I believe they have in our current legislative system. Some of the folks here in St. Paul have pointed out that if we were to do away with omnibus bills, we would likely need to transition to a full-time legislature to get all our work done.
If we keep doing the same business as usual, I would understand the point they’re making. It’s true, there probably wouldn’t be enough time to pass all the bills that the majority wants to see passed. My solution to this problem would be simple, let’s pass fewer bills. Way fewer bills.
Instead of taking my suggested approach of transitioning away from omnibus bills and simply passing fewer bills, there is a proposed constitutional amendment from House Majority Leader, Jamie Long, that seeks to make Minnesota just the 11th full-time state legislature in the country.
As things currently stand, the Minnesota Constitution says that the Legislature can meet in regular session for just 120 “legislative days” over the course of two years. Each year, the House and Senate must adjourn regular sessions on the Monday following the third Saturday of May.
The proposed constitutional amendment would ask voters to remove the 120-day limit and the May adjournment date from our constitution.
I do not support a full-time legislature for many reasons.
Minnesota has a long history of having a citizen legislature. This allows Minnesotans to run for state office and serve their communities in the legislature while still maintaining their current job or profession. For 5 months a year, legislators from all walks of life whether they be farmers, teachers, law enforcement officers, or more leave their jobs behind to do the people’s work in St. Paul.
Eliminating the 120-day limit would force these citizen-legislators to quit their professions. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to quit my day job and I definitely don’t want to see Washington D.C. style politics brought to St. Paul by turning legislators into professional politicians.
Legislators need to understand the challenges of being a small business owner, a teacher, a farmer, and all the other professions and experiences that we all bring to St. Paul. We need servant leaders who are not camped out in Saint Paul year-round, but rather are back in their districts listening to their neighbors and understanding the consequences of the laws that we’re passing.
Also, just look at what happened during last year’s legislative session where we saw government spending grow by 40%, taxes raised by nearly $10 billion, the entirety of your $18 billion budget surplus spent, and a slew of policy changes that do not have the support of folks in our area. If that can happen in only 5 months, imagine what would happen in 12.
At the end of the day, the current setup keeps us in better touch with the communities we serve and allows citizen-legislators to be the voice of the people, not professional politicians.
Staying in Touch
As always, please communicate to me any thoughts, questions, or concerns you may have. Please never hesitate to reach out to me whether it’s via phone or email. I can be reached at 651-296-4293 or via email at rep.mike.wiener@house.mn.gov. It would be an honor to speak with you.
Until next time, have a great weekend,
Mike