Dear Neighbor,
Huge congratulations to Cathedral for winning the state Class A boys high school hockey championship last weekend. Great job, Crusaders!
As for official House business, here is a look at my latest notes from the House of Representatives:
Vote on flag
In hopes of unifying Minnesotans on a new state flag, House Republicans have authored a bill allowing Minnesotans to vote on the new flag design that has been approved by the Minnesota State Emblems Redesign Commission.
Minnesotans not only have that right but want the right to vote on whether this new flag represents them. A recent analysis found that roughly 75% of Minnesotans have some level of dissatisfaction over the process to create a new state flag or the final product itself.
House Republicans also are authoring a bill that would adjust the state seal, because the current version violates the provision in state law that notes "no one person or community may be represented."
The new seal and flag are not official until May 11, so there is still time to address these issues.
School safety
I mentioned in my last newsletter the Minnesota House had approved a bill to resolve last year’s change in law which caused school resource officers to be removed from schools throughout the state. After hitting a snag on Monday, the bill came back to the House for a vote on final passage and was approved 119-9. The Senate followed suit by also approving the bill 61-3 Thursday and the governor has now signed it into law. This is good news that all SROs can get back to doing their great work in protecting students, teachers and staff.
Local visitors
Thanks once again to everyone who took time to come to my office and share their thoughts on important issues. Just some of the groups I met with recently include:
Soil and Water Conservation District
Tri-CAP
St. Augusta City Administrator/League of MN Cities Day
ABATE Motorcycle
50 cents more for gas?
The Senate Transportation Committee recently conducted the first legislative committee hearing on S.F. 2584, the controversial proposal by House and Senate Democrats to implement a so-called Clean Transportation Standard.
This bill would authorize rulemaking to impose expensive and burdensome mandates that would raise fuel prices for Minnesotans by 40-50 cents per gallon or more in the coming years and decimate our state’s ethanol and biodiesel industries.
With this bill, the legislative majority is pushing to make gas prices more expensive for every family in Minnesota and deliver a devastating blow to our agriculture economy. A diverse coalition of labor unions, agriculture groups, businesses, and countless others have lined up to oppose this bill because it will harm job growth, hurt our farmers and agriculture economy, and raise fuel prices on families at a time when inflation is still far too high.
States that have imposed the Clean Transportation Standard mandate have among the highest gas prices in the country — our state should listen to the concerns that have been raised and abandon this expensive and burdensome proposal.
Assisted suicide
Things had been quiet of late regarding a Democrat bill legalizing assisted suicide in Minnesota. That has changed and now the proposal has been the subject of House committee hearings. This bill is of great concern and, as even a Democrat in the Senate put it, “The risk lies not in undervaluing personal autonomy for the few who currently want assisted suicide, but in normalizing attitudes that prioritize convenience over compassion.”
Two more anti-Second Amendment bills
In previous newsletters, I have touched on anti-Second Amendment bills H.F. 601 (theft) and H.F. 4300 (storage). Now, two more anti-Second Amendment bills received committee hearings in the House this week. They include:
H.F. 2828, allows local governments to prohibit or restrict a person from carrying a firearm on government-owned property.
H.F. 3672, transfers firearm regulations away from the state to local governing bodies, allowing municipalities and counties to regulate the use and possession of firearms. This would result in a patchwork of firearm laws across our state and lead to potentially unconstitutional proposals by governing bodies.
As a proud Second Amendment supporter, I oppose these latest proposals. Once again, they seem to do more to make criminals out of good-faith gun owners instead of tackling the real issues such as enforcing our current laws.
Until next time, here are some links to help you follow developments in St. Paul this session:
- Rep. Bernie Perryman page – My official House website with assorted information.
- Session Daily – Daily news and information about House committee and floor action.
- Live Webcasts and Mobile Stream – View floor sessions, committee hearings, press conferences and more from home or on a mobile device.
- House Public Information Services Publications – Information about the Legislature and legislative process.
- House Public Information Services Press Releases
- New Laws – Summaries of all vetoes and new laws enacted from the 2021 legislative session.
- House Research – Issues and information.
- House Fiscal Analysis – Issue briefs.
Please Contact Me
It’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. You can call me at 651-296-6316, or email me at rep.bernie.perryman@house.mn.gov. I am here to serve you!
Bernie
