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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Dennis Smith (R)

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Legislative Update (Sept. 25, 2015)

Friday, September 25, 2015

Dear Neighbors,

We have another great Minnesota fall weekend upon us! There are many community activities planned and I hope to see you around town. As we look ahead to 2016, there are two issues making headlines this week that will be a part of the upcoming legislative session.

Sherco Power Plant

On Monday, I was briefed about the Sherco Xcel Power Plant in Becker with the House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Committee.

In the evening, the committee held a meeting in Becker’s community center with over 250 people in attendance. There’s a significant concern that President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, a plan that enforces new emission reduction standards, may have a negative impact on Sherco. This plant is responsible for creating around a quarter of our state’s electricity. Sherco provides an inexpensive form of energy to hardworking Minnesota families who can’t afford to pay more for their monthly bills.

It was a packed house in Becker for the committee hearing.

On top of the cost difference, Sherco is also a major job provider and source of tax revenue for the city of Becker. Several hundred Minnesotans rely on this power plant to earn a living for their families. With the jobs and industry comes a large amount of tax income for the city. According to Becker’s mayor, 77 percent of the city’s tax collections come from the Sherco plant. We need to be conscious of the effect that closing portions of Sherco will have on its workers, the city of Becker, and the local school district. The legislature will look to create a balanced energy portfolio in Minnesota. We need to keep in mind the needs of the environment while maintaining low energy costs and preserving the good-paying jobs, like at Sherco.

REAL ID

You’ve likely seen some recent news stories regarding the federal government’s insistence on all states changing to a system called Real ID. To fully understand the debate surrounding this issue, it’s best to look at Real ID’s history at the federal level, as well as in our state.

In 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act to require each state to modify their identification cards to carry more personal information as a safety precaution. Then, in 2009, the Minnesota House and Senate passed a law prohibiting our state from complying with the federal act. What’s important to know is that this passed the House on a 133-0 vote and the Senate on a 64-1 vote. This was a true bipartisan effort demonstrating the significant privacy concerns with a Real ID card. Since 2009, no bill has been introduced in the House or Senate to change Minnesota’s position on this issue.

The federal government has put a deadline on states to comply with their Real ID law prior to January 2016 or those without the new identification will be unable to fly on a commercial airplane. While this may sound frightening, there’s no reason for Minnesotans to panic. Three other states, including New York, have yet to switch to Real ID. I doubt the federal government would stop New York’s 20 million residents from flying in January because their state hasn’t complied.

Protecting the privacy of our citizens is at the forefront of this debate. A Real ID would contain more of your personal information, potentially decreasing data privacy. While Governor Dayton is considering a special session to change Minnesota’s law, I believe we must take the time to thoroughly investigate the full effect Real ID would have on the privacy of our citizens. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security will be in St. Paul to discuss this issue. In addition, the Data Practices Commission will investigate Real ID prior to the new year.

In May, Governor Dayton mentioned in an MPR article that Real ID compliance might wait until next session and that the deadline would likely be extended. We shouldn’t waste taxpayer money rushing into a special session before we have heard testimony from experts on this issue. As Vice-Chair of the Civil Law and Data Practices Committee, I look forward to contributing to this important discussion facing our state and country.

 
   

If you’re interested in meeting with me or to talk about these or any other issues concerning our state, feel free to contact my office at 651-296-5502 or Rep.Dennis.Smith@house.mn. Visiting and interacting with constituents is the best way for me to understand what is important to the people of our district. I look forward to hearing from you!

Have a great weekend,

Dennis