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Legislative Update - April 5, 2012

Dear neighbors,

The legislature is about to begin our Spring break. The legislative session is still scheduled to wrap up on April 30, meaning we still have a lot of work to accomplish. I hope we will turn our attention back to growing jobs and strengthening the economy before we run out of time. I’ve been disappointed by the high level of partisanship this session and the time spent on distractions like constitutional amendments that subvert the checks and balances of good democracy.

I wanted to remind you that next Saturday, April 14, I will be holding another “Second Saturday" constituent coffee meeting. The next meeting will take place at 8:30am at Dunn Brothers Coffee (120 Elton Hills Drive NW). Please attend if you can!

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

Autism Rally

In my last update, I referenced a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 2008, one in 88 children received a Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis by age 8, compared with about one in 110 two years earlier. The estimated rate in 2002 was about one in 155. One in 54 boys in the U.S. has the disorder. You can find the report here: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6103a1.htm?s_cid=ss6103a1_w

Monday, April 2 was World Autism Awareness Day and advocates held a rally in the Capitol Rotunda to increase awareness and try to gain legislative support. I was honored to speak at the rally. It’s been heartbreaking to see families struggle to get the necessary help for their children. While support for insurance coverage for proper therapy is lacking from the majority, I have included a study on therapy effectiveness in the HHS bill.

I have also helped draft language and co-author a bill that would start a pilot program designed to provide individuals with autism spectrum disorders with the jobs training and support they need to be successful. I am also carrying bills to improve foster care options and allow for certified providers for this population. I’m hopeful for some successes this year.

Buying a home?

Are you looking at buying a home? The Community Housing Partnership is offering a Home Buyer Education and Counseling Program. The program’s goal is to help first-time buyers become successful homeowners. The course is designed to help people understand the home buying process, decide if homeownership is right for you, successfully complete a mortgage application, and get ready for the responsibilities of homeownership.

The Community Housing Partnership will be offering workshops in April, May, and June. Once you complete the workshop, you can set up a private counseling appointment. Buying a home is a difficult and confusing process and I encourage you to get some advice from the experts. If you’re interested in the workshop, call 507-282-7529, email judy@rochp.org or visit www.rochp.org.

Regent Selection

On Wednesday evening, a joint convention of the House and Senate selected Thomas Devine to serve as a new regent for the University of Minnesota. Mr. Devine replaces former Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum who resigned from his post last month after conflict of interest allegations surfaced when he took a job as the Senate Republican Caucus Communications Director.

The 12 member Board of Regents is the governing body for the U of M. Members serve six-year terms and are unpaid.

As a member of the House Higher Education Policy and Committee, I participated in a joint House-Senate Committee hearing to interview Mr. Devine, and Robert Vogel, the other candidate. I believe Mr. Devine is highly-qualified and will do a great job serving the state and the students of the U of M.

Voter ID

Late Tuesday night — actually, early Wednesday morning — the House passed the conference committee report on the Voter ID constitutional amendment. The Senate followed later that morning. The amendment will now be on the ballot this November to be decided by the voters. I don’t believe this is the right approach for Minnesota and I offered a statutory alternative that could have gained bipartisan support.

Before the amendment passed off the House floor the first time, I offered a bill that would provide the use of poll books in polling places to verify a voter’s identity. The poll book proposal is a byproduct of Governor Dayton’s bipartisan Election Integrity Task Force.

Electronic poll books would link polling places to the state’s driver’s license database. A paper option was also available and could have been implemented immediately, rather than waiting a year. If the voter’s photo is not in the database, for example, a college student without a driver’s license, a device would scan their student ID to enter them into the system. That same device could take photos of people who might not be in the system.

According to data provided by the Secretary of State, 84,000 current voters do not have photo IDs and an additional 131,000 voters currently have the wrong address on their ID.

Many of the 84,000 Minnesotans without an ID have had one at one time or another. For example, many seniors who are no longer driving may no longer have a valid photo ID, but because they had an ID in the past, their photo and information would still be in the database. They would show up at the polling place, the worker would bring up their picture and confirm their identity, perhaps update the photo, and they would then be allowed to vote.

The Secretary of State says the Voter ID constitutional amendment offered by the majority has serious flaws and could potentially disenfranchise thousands of seniors, students, and other law-abiding citizens. The poll book alternative would provide voter identity verification while ensuring that all eligible Minnesotans can exercise their constitutional right to vote.

By inserting this language into our constitution, we are also tying the hands of future legislators and legislatures. Constitutional amendments should be rare, bipartisan, and not used as a tool to go around a governor with whom you disagree. Legislators were elected to work together and compromise.

Same-day registration and absentee voting are the reason why we lead the nation in voter turnout and have one of the best election systems in the country. We should be working together to improve our great system, not dismantle it.

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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.