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State Representative Kim Norton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9249
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E-Update
Legislative Update -- March 29, 2012
Dear neighbors,
The legislative session continues to move along. Committee deadlines have passed, meaning that all major legislation for the year will soon be on the House floor. Those bills remain available for amendment and certainly the conference committee process provides further opportunity to mold the bills into a form that Governor Dayton will sign.
Early in session, I sent out a legislative survey. Thanks to all of you who responded; your input has been crucial as I worked on the issues this session. The results of one of the surveys are attached to this email. You can also find them online here: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/dflpdf/kn12surveyresults2.pdf
As is so often the case, there are a wide variety of opinions, views and facts to consider when voting on bills, but your input weighs heavily as I make my vote.
If you have questions, comments or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you again for the honor of serving you in the legislature. Kim Norton State Representative District 29B (651) 296-9249 rep.kim.norton@house.mn
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UPDATES FROM THE CAPITOL
Bonding Bills
Last week, I mentioned that the House bonding bill had been released. Bonding bills often include construction and repairs of roads and bridges, flood mitigation, buildings on college campuses, waste water treatment plants, parks and trails, cultural and regional centers and more. These bills support state infrastructure and can be an essential part of sustaining and enhancing our economic recovery.
I also mentioned that I was deeply disappointed with the House bill. The bill is too small, won’t put enough people back to work, and won’t address the many infrastructure challenges and economic needs facing our whole state. Rochester, Minnesota’s third largest city was glaringly absent as a major recipient of bonding projects.
The Senate released their bonding bill this week totaling around $500 million. This bill includes far more projects — with the Mayo Civic Center and Zumbro dredging among them — but is viewed in that body as too partisan. The bill is accused of prioritizing projects from districts represented by the majority and intentionally ignoring worthy projects from members of the minority.
Because of the supermajority needed to pass a bonding bill, they must have bipartisan support and that’s the way it should be. Partisan politics should have no place in our bonding bills. My hope is that a strong conference committee will preserve the best of both bills and gain the votes it needs to go to the governor.
Primary Seat Belt Law Saving Lives, Lowering Costs
A recent study from the University of Minnesota Center for Excellence in Rural Safety found that Minnesota’s primary seat belt law is saving lives and saving us money. Their report found that since the law took effect three years ago there have been 68 fewer deaths, 320 fewer serious injuries, and $45 million in avoided hospital charges, including $10 million in taxpayers savings in Medicaid and Medicare costs.
The study also found that seat belt use has reached an all-time high of 93 percent and that 70 percent of Minnesotans support the law. The results are exactly what we had hoped for when we passed it two years ago. I am very pleased with this successful outcome.
Bill Hearings
On Thursday, my Nurse Licensure Compact bill was heard and passed out of the Health and Human Services Finance Committee. It will be heard next in Ways and Means. It remains unclear if the Department and Governor will support this bill once it passes.
The Volunteer Dental Bill has passed the Senate and awaits its final vote in the House which could occur any time. The additional dental provisions for Hiawatha Homes and Apple Tree Dental are included in the Health and Human Services Omnibus bill which will be taken up on the House floor later today.
Additionally, there are multiple provisions in the HHS Omnibus bill for children and families dealing with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders. I’m very hopeful that we might pass some supportive bills for this growing segment of our population.
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 2008 one child in 88 received one of these diagnoses, known as autism spectrum disorders, by age 8, compared with about one in 110 two years earlier. The estimated rate in 2002 was about one in 155. You can find the report here: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6103a1.htm?s_cid=ss6103a1_w
Stay tuned as we wind down this legislative session which is still scheduled to be completed on April 30.
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STAY INFORMED
In addition to these email updates, there are a number of ways for Minnesotans to follow major issues and get a behind-the-scenes look at the legislative process. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to subscribe to this listserv at www.house.mn/29B.
Follow me on Twitter @knorton29 to receive regular updates and insight into the legislative process.
The Senate and House produce award-winning weekly and daily news magazines during the legislative session online and in print. To subscribe or for general information about the House (651) 296-2146, Senate (651) 296-0504, and legislative process, visit the Legislature’s website at www.leg.state.mn.us and click on “general information."
You can also track bills I’m working on at my House website: www.house.mn/29B.
News Items
- Rep. Norton Selected as Vice Chair of House Health and Human Services Finance Committee - (Posted: 2012-12-14 00:00:00)
- It’s Time for Legislature to Get Back to Basics, Balance the Budget Honestly - (Posted: 2012-12-11 00:00:00)
- Second Saturday Coffee Meeting Date Changed to December 9 - (Posted: 2012-12-03 00:00:00)
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