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State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
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GUEST COLUMN
Builders face steep code-compliance costs
By Rep. Paul Anderson
This may not seem like a big problem for us in rural Minnesota, but many building owners throughout the state are facing major costs to comply with new state codes for elevators. The 2007 Legislature passed two major code changes for both freight and passenger elevators, and a five-year phase-in period was established to allow owners to budget for the upgrades. It’s estimated the cost could range between $80,000 and $150,000 to bring each elevator in the state up to these new standards! Elevators in both public and private buildings are affected by these new regulations, although there are some exceptions for churches.
The date these new regulations take affect is Jan. 29, 2012, and if repairs are not made by that time, elevators could be rendered inoperable by state inspectors. The two major changes deal with what’s called “fall protectors” and fire service. Currently, elevators are required to be inspected every year, but many are not. And, although the exact number of building elevators in Minnesota is not known, it’s estimated there are about 30,000.
The Minnesota Dept. of Labor and Industry is the agency in charge of inspecting elevators in our state.
Because there is a ban on the slaughtering of horses in this country, many older equines end up being shipped to Canada when their useful days are past. This is a natural cycle of life, and the slaughter market provides a floor that supports the market for horses. However, new laws in Canada could have an effect on that market and impact those who raise horses in this country.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced new rules – effective July 31 of this year – for all equine, including imported horses sold to Canadian food processing plants. Medical records must accompany each horse and be given to the buyer before the animal can move to a Canadian plant. The horse’s owner must include in those records a written and picture identification, along with a record of illness and medical treatment given to the animal for the six months prior to slaughter.
The 2009 annual report of the Gambling Control Board reveals what many have suspected; that is, the level of activity has dropped substantially, and the number of non-profit organizations that run charitable gambling has also dropped dramatically. More than 1,900 organizations were involved in charitable gambling at its high point in 1988, while today the number is down to 1,250.
The contributions made by these organizations to their communities also have declined. From a high of $101 million in 1989 to $43 million last year represents a drop of 57 percent. The state still gets its share, which amounts to nearly half of the gross profits. According to the ’09 annual report, of the nearly $80 million in profit, $43 million went for charitable contributions while about 37 million went to the state in taxes.
We get lots of e-mails and messages here in St. Paul. Received a letter recently that made me smile. The first thing I noticed was that there was no return address on the envelope. Then, after reading the neatly-typed letter, I came to the last sentence, which read, “Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about my request.” It was signed “Anonymous.”
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Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
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