Dear Neighbors,
The pace continues to pick up at the Legislature. Here’s an update from Saint Paul:
Committee Deadlines
Last Friday was the first of three legislative committee deadlines. Each year, House and Senate leaders set deadlines to manage bills as the measures make their way through the legislative process. Deadlines narrow the number of bills that receive final action.
The 2017 committee deadlines:
1st deadline – Friday, March 10 at midnight
2nd deadline – Friday, March 17 at midnight
3rd deadline – Friday, March 31 at midnight
The first deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin; meaning a bill must be heard in either the House or Senate to continue its legislative journey.
The second deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other house; meaning the bills that survived the first deadline must be heard in the other body.
The third deadline is for committees to act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.
Deadlines do not apply to the introduction of bills. Also, House committees on Capital Investment, Ways and Means, Finance, Taxes, or Rules and Senate committees on Capital Investment, Taxes, or Rules are exempt from committee deadlines.
Under some circumstances, committees in either house can hear a bill that didn’t meet the deadlines.
With deadlines in place, we can only hope budget targets will be released by House Republicans soon and not in the final moments of this legislative session.
Reckless Gun Legislation
On Wednesday last week, the Public Safety Committee heard two controversial gun bills. HF 188 (Nash), the Reckless Carry bill, would end the permit requirement to carry a firearm in public and allow any person who is not legally prohibited from possessing a firearm to carry one in public without a permit or gun safety training. HF 238 (Nash), the Shoot First bill, would dramatically expand where it’s legal to shoot and kill someone, including to public spaces when there’s a clear and safe alternative to shooting.
Both bills drew considerable public testimony and media attention. It seems as though bigotry always finds a way to justify its need for reckless and harmful policies. It is frustrating and incredibly sad that Republican legislators are prioritizing these kinds of initiatives that will impact so many lives negatively. Both bills were laid over for possible inclusion in the Public Safety Omnibus Bill. Traditionally, controversial firearm legislation such as this has traveled as stand-alone bills through the committee process. Bundling these gun bills to a larger omnibus bill that has other bipartisan public safety bills is shameful and a terrible way to govern.
Please feel free to contact me anytime with ideas and input. I appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Raymond Dehn
State Representative