Week in Review: March 4-8

Lots of ground was covered this week with bills heard on subjects as varied as doxing, therapy dogs, rainbows, roadable aircraft and carbon capture, to name just a few. A bipartisan fix to clarify the rules governing school resource officers was also passed off the House Floor.

We are now two weeks from the first committee deadline, by when committees must act favorably on bills that are not major appropriations or finance bills. That could well mean some evening and/or Friday hearings during the next fortnight.

And an early reminder that Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, so don’t forget to set your clocks ahead and alter your sleep schedule, or not, accordingly.

Have a good weekend and here’s a look back at what happened over the past week.

AGRICULTURE
Tax incentives offered as possible solution to nitrate contamination on SE Minnesota farmland

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18130

BUSINESS AND COMMERCE

Commerce panel OKs bill proposing to ‘put some guardrails' on social media algorithms

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18121

CIVIL LAW

Anti-doxing bill to protect judges clears judiciary panel

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18147

CONSUMERS

Proposed ban on flavored tobacco products moves ahead in House

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18127

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

With civic competition fierce, local officials seek funds to secure more world-class sporting events

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18135

EDUCATION

Funding boost sought to boot up additional high school computer science courses

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18149

Proposal aims to help high school coaches prevent eating disorders among students

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18141

House passes — by wide margin — bill clarifying use-of-force rules for school resource officers

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18120

ELECTIONS

‘Minnesota Voting Rights Act’ seeks to guarantee equal opportunity at the ballot box

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18132

EMPLOYMENT

Legislation calls for state’s larger employers to include salary ranges in job postings

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18151

House labor panel approves bill to bar businesses from misclassifying employees

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18129

Judiciary panel spotlights ‘shadow’ non-compete clauses, approves bill to close loophole

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18125

ENERGY
Bill sponsor says proposal could make Minnesota ‘carbon negative’

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18133

Minneapolis building could go from zero to geothermal with funding boost

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18128

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Plan to replace MN’s aging electronic waste recycling program gains environmental committee’s OK

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18142

FAMILY

Funding kinship care a priority for children and families committee

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18124

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Lawmakers aim to tap Medicaid for novel nutrition, prisoner health care programs

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18152

To earn or not to earn: House health committee debates HMOs in Minnesota

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18150

Proposal would raise ‘age of delinquency’ by three years

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18145

Bill to mandate abortion coverage by health care plans clears commerce panel

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18140

More beds for civilly committed individuals would be afforded under bill

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18136

Bipolar disorder and psychoses treatment focus of bill to establish support program

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18119

HIGHER EDUCATION

Student grant program could soon see red ink, higher education officials say

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18146

HOUSING

Corporations, developers could be prohibited from purchasing single-family homes for conversion to rentals

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18138

Low-income seniors ask lawmakers to change rent control calculations

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18131

Legislation seeks $500 million in housing infrastructure bonds to help meet state’s affordable housing deficit

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18118

MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS
New veterans cemetery proposed for NW Minnesota under bill that advances in House

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18117

PUBLIC SAFETY

Funds for more four-legged friends could help MN law enforcement, victims deal with trauma

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18126

STATE GOVERNMENT

Handful of public employee group compensation plans clear state government committee

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18144

Don’t go banning rainbows, says sponsor of bill that clears local government committee

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18123

TAXES

House panel approves corporate tax fix

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18148

Full disclosure? Bill would require it of top-earning corporations

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18139

What’s a land bank and should it pay property taxes? House tax panel weighs in

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18134

TRANSPORTATION

House transportation panel ponders ground rules for flying cars

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18143

Cross-Range expressway would memorialize ‘Defender of the Range’

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18122