Greetings from the Floor,
On Tuesday, the House passed SF 1646 – a bill pertaining to REAL IDs. The bill allows the Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) to begin planning and open dialog for REAL IDs with the federal Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS). DPS must report its plan for REAL ID implementation to the Legislature by April 14, 2016. The bill also requires the Legislature to vote on actual implementation of REAL IDs before DPS begins issuing them. I’m very glad we’ve taken the first steps on this issue to give Minnesotans equal access to commercial airline travel and federal facilities without worry.
Also on Tuesday, the House DFL held a press conference to release the Next Generation Main Street Act. Some provisions of the legislative package include technical support and gap-financing for entrepreneurs and new businesses; streamlining small business audits; tax conformity with new provisions of the federal tax code; and simplifying sales tax compliance for small businesses. A bill I’m carrying that’s a part of the package (HF 2728) would appropriate $500,000 to the Small Business Development Centers across the state to assist with business transition and succession planning. This would keep main street businesses open throughout Minnesota by connecting successful business owners who may be looking to retire or move on to other endeavors with entrepreneurs who want to own their own businesses. HF 2728 was heard in the Job Growth and Energy Affordability Committee on Wednesday and laid over for possible inclusion in the committee’s omnibus bill later this session.
I presented another bill on Wednesday in the Higher Education Committee. HF 2729 would establish a student loan forgiveness program within the Office of Higher Education for people who finished a post-secondary degree and work in Greater Minnesota. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the committee’s omnibus bill later this session. A couple of facts I found to be very alarming are that Minnesotans with student debt carry the 5th highest average student debt burden in the country at $30,894. Also, about 327,000 people are carrying student debt in Greater Minnesota. Putting these two numbers together, this equals $10.1 billion in student debt; I know some people with student loans have more and some have less than the average. However, this is a very significant amount of money that would otherwise be going to toward young people buying first homes, new cars, getting married, starting families or beginning retirement savings. I feel the student debt problem is a significant drag on our economy and we need to take action to address it.
Another bill I authored and introduced on Tuesday was HF 3638. This bill would establish a grant program in the Dept. of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to reimburse employees who help students with the costs of completion of a 2-year academic program at a MnSCU school. I’ve heard from businesses all across Minnesota who say the same thing: we have jobs available, but no workers with the necessary skills and qualifications to fill the jobs. I know a number of proposals have been introduced by legislators over the last couple of years to address this issue, and there is no ultimate solution here. It’s going to take many ideas and different approaches to fully get a handle on this matter to keep Minnesota’s economy strong into the future. My bill would connect new workers with businesses, and help people complete and pay for post-secondary degrees.
Last night I appeared on Pioneer Public Television’s Your Legislators. It’s a weekly program that invites four legislators to discuss issues of the session and answer viewer’s questions. I was on with Sen. Eken, Rep. Paul Torkelson of Hanska and Sen. Torry Westrom of Elbow Lake. For more information about the program and to view the episode, please go to:http://video.pioneer.org/show/your-legislators/.
Thank You for the Opportunity to Serve,
Ben