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State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
Work continues through the final days
As a member of the Local Government Committee, I had the opportunity this week to hear debate on the Hennepin County/Minnesota Twins ballpark proposal. We heard testimony from business leaders, community members and Twins fans about the importance of this team to the state as a whole, and as a financial investment to Hennepin County. In the end, I voted to allow Hennepin County to impose a local option sales tax without referendum. This bill now moves to the Tax Committee, where it will face its toughest test before moving to the floor for a vote by the entire House.
This particular legislation is of interest since we have been working with Mower County officials trying to get approval for a local option sales tax. It is frustrating to see the inconsistency that exists surrounding local sales tax options.
On another controversial matter, I did support the Minnesota Personal Protection Act (Conceal and Carry), as amended by the Senate. This bill was originally passed in 2003 but was struck down for procedural reasons.
The Senate made some changes I believe made the bill better, including requiring permit holders to take an approved gun safety class and banning registered sex offenders from carrying guns, even with a permit. I supported several amendments offered on the floor that I believe would have made the bill better, such as allowing churches to ban guns from their premises and disallowing guns from school parking lots. These amendments did not pass.
The passage of this bill in an indication of the strong support across the state for reasonable gun regulations. With the increasing violence in our nation, I would personally like to see fewer guns in our homes and neighborhoods, but do believe that some corrections have been made that make it a reasonable alternative to the old version of the law.
The bill will go into effect the day after the Governor signs it.
End of session
As mandated by the State Constitution, the 2005 Legislative session will end next Monday, May 23rd. There is a flurry of activity in these final days; we are hearing dozens of smaller bills in extended sessions each day and several Conference Committees are working tirelessly to agree on a final version of several bills, working to resolve significant differences.
Some progress has been made. The omnibus bills present the biggest challenge, as they are large and involve funding for critical areas such as education and health care, and policy decisions on jobs, taxes and public safety.
A big setback yesterday was the Governor's veto of the bipartisan transportation bill. This was a balanced, moderate approach to funding the desperate transportation needs in our state. We have an obligation to invest now in our roads and highways, not pass that problem on to our children and grandchildren. Republicans and Democrats offered the Governor an option that would have moved Minnesota forward; his pledge of "No New Taxes" stopped any forward progress we could have made and sends us back to the drawing board. Along the way, both parties have been willing to compromise to move legislation forward; it is disappointing that the Governor cannot accommodate this good effort.
The informal pledge I made is to be a responsible representative, supporting good policy even if it does contradict the Governor's pledge of "No New Taxes". There are three bodies in our state government; the spirit of compromise is a reasonable expectation from all three.
With this veto, it is likely we will not get the job done by Monday. Although it is hard not to feel some disappointment about this, I do believe that if we need to work overtime to get the job done right, then it is worth it. There is a lot at stake and too many people are depending on us to rush to a final decision.
It is unclear at this point exactly what happens next. The Governor is in control, he can either call us back immediately for a special session, or wait a few days while the committees continue their work. When we do reconvene, we will continue our diligence and hard work, never taking our eyes off the target of crafting the best legislation we can for the people who gave us their support and trust.
I came here to do a job and I succeeded in working together with fellow legislators to do the work of our people in Minnesota. With bipartisan effort and support, we passed a strong state bonding bill, a minimum wage increase and an ethanol bill. With those successes, we have already achieved more than the previous legislature.
I want to thank everyone who visited me, called or wrote letters or emails. I appreciate all of the support and feedback you have given me and look forward to being available during the summer and fall to speak to groups or answer individual questions.
Please continue to call or write if you have ideas or concerns you want to share about state or local issues. I can be reached by phone at 1-888-682-3180 or 1-651-296-4193, by mail at 231 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at the above address. If you are interested in receiving my e-newsletter, please email me at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn and your name will be added to our list.
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
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