Dear Neighbors:
Wrapping up last week at the legislature, I was on Minnesota Public Radio Friday morning discussing the negative impacts of a Republican proposal to provide neo-vouchers (tax credits) to parents who enroll their children in private schools. I believe that if we put the child and their family at the center of our policy making we will see that academic success and social development requires resources for families, including: stable housing, good jobs with decent wages, access to health care (including mental health and chemical dependency services), a robust transportation system, and a host of other factors beyond what happens within the four walls of the school. This proposal not only further undermines the resources needed to support families with all those needs but also undermines the place of public schools as a basic community institution that binds us together in every community throughout Minnesota. You can listen to the discussion from the 11:00 am hour on Tom Weber’s show here.
Town Hall Engagement
The climate change town hall hosted by Senator Torres Ray, Representative Wagenius and I earlier this month was very well attended, and I’m looking forward to good turnout at our next town hall on Tuesday (tomorrow, details below). The topic of civil rights was highlighted last week by #ADayWithoutImmigrants marchers at the Capitol on Thursday, and the businesses that closed all over Minneapolis. Immigration will be one of the topics touched on in our town hall event Tuesday evening.
Meeting on Civil Rights:
WHAT: Town hall joined by representatives from ACLU-Minnesota, Common Cause-Minnesota, the Immigrant Rights Center, and Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation.
WHEN: 6:30-8:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 21, 2017
WHERE: Communications Workers of America Hall
3521 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Partisan Redistricting Proposal
The damaging effect that hyper-partisanship is having on the process of drawing legislative district lines in states like North Carolina and Wisconsin has been clear, and has had damaging effects on the functioning of our federal government. Too much influence from one political party or the other results in gerrymandering that harms our democratic institutions, and now House Republicans have introduced legislation to mandate that politicians draw their own legislative districts here in Minnesota.
Currently Minnesota uses a dual-track process for redistricting legislative and Congressional districts. After the population data is received from the US Census the legislature starts developing redistricting maps using objective criteria. At the same time the state courts develop their own proposal using the same statutory criteria. If the legislative proposal has not been passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor by a specific date the court’s redistricting map becomes law. The courts have redrawn the state’s legislative and Congressional districts at least five of the last six decades.
There is a DFL plan proposed (HF 246), which would establish a nonpartisan commission to draw the districts for us and take the politics out of the process. That way, politicians looking out for their own interests will not have the power to create safe districts for themselves. Other states like Arizona and California have done exactly that. It’s worth noting that we have ostensibly been using this “commission” process already.
Possible Changes to the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority
As controversy swirled around the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), the organization that oversees US Bank Stadium, last week, and the top two leaders resigned, a bill that would make changes to the MSFA was heard in committee. This legislation was heard in response to the Legislative Auditor’s report on the handling of U.S. Bank Stadium suites by the Authority. The Legislative Auditor reached a number of conclusions, some of which are addressed by the legislation, others not. You can find the House Public Information Services coverage here.
While I share the concerns of many about some of the current functioning of the MSFA I am also concerned that the proposal significantly reduces the place that Minneapolis deserves at the table as a major funder of the project and host city. I also think the proposal misses the elephant in the room concerning sports stadiums in the Twin Cities, competing amongst themselves for other events and pitting taxpayer-funded venue against taxpayer-funded venue to the benefit of event promoters and detriment of the taxpayers.
Stay in Touch
I hope to see you at the upcoming town hall meeting. You can always contact me if you have questions or concerns at 651-296-0173 or by email at rep.jim.davnie@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Jim Davnie
State Representative