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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein (DFL)

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Legislative Update - April 23, 2018

Monday, April 23, 2018

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful weekend! Below you will find updates from the Capitol and information about my upcoming Coffee & Conversations.

Coffee & Conversations

Please join Sen. Laine and me for Coffee & Conversations events in both April and May. These informal meetings give us an opportunity to connect one-on-one, to ask questions, raise concerns, and discuss what's happening at the Capitol and in our communities.

April Coffee & Conversations:

Date: Saturday, April 28

Time: 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Location: Community Grounds Coffee Shop, 560 40th Ave NE, Columbia Heights

May Coffee & Conversations: Saturday, May 12, same time and location

Even Year Elections

The Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee, with 50/50 party line support,  has approved an amendment to the elections omnibus bill, SF 3021, prohibiting cities from extending or shortening the terms of council members when switching from odd- to even-year elections, or vice versa. This election law change would have significant impact on the city of New Brighton along with Maplewood and potentially other cities in Minnesota.  

Under the amendment, cities that change election years would then need to hold elections in consecutive calendar years to allow the terms of incumbents to expire.  In 2016, the City of New Brighton passed an ordinance switching from odd year to even year elections. When this was done, the city council analyzed the impacts of transitioning (pros & cons) and ultimately decided it was in the best interests of the city to do so.

New Brighton and other cities are moving to match local elections with national elections. If this bill were to become law, cities will need to hold an additional election in 2019.  This means the cities would hold elections in 2018, 2019 and then again in 2020. One of the most obvious impacts of this legislation is financial. The estimated cost of conducting an election is a minimum of $75,000. The cost of elections was one of the primary drivers of New Brighton’s decision to go to even election year cycles.

State Budget

Earlier in the session, Governor Dayton outlined his detailed budget proposal, with greater investments in education, job creation efforts, and a tax proposal focused on fairness for everyone, not just the wealthy. Two weeks ago, the House majority released their budget targets for each subject area, and last week we saw various bills emerge.

We have a modest $329 million budget surplus. I’ll be working to ensure the session ends productively, by delivering more opportunities for Minnesotans and their families to succeed while maintaining our state’s strong fiscal stability.

Investing in Students

One area in which the Governor’s and the House Majority’s approaches have differed is education. In his budget proposal, Governor Dayton came forward with help for school districts’ unfunded special education obligations, working to eliminate what’s known as the “cross-subsidy.” He also has a plan to extend our successful voluntary pre-K opportunities beyond next school year. Unfortunately, under the Republican plan, state support for special education wouldn’t start catching up until 2022, and there are no additional investments in pre-K for our youngest learners.

The Higher Education bill also has room to improve, with few resources to lower college tuition, while earmarking $5 million for a single program at a single state university. Instead, our investment ought to spread across all campuses in order support efforts to lower student tuition and academic debt. To read more, click here.

One of the things that makes Minnesotans so proud of our state is our strong commitment to public education. In order to continue this tradition, it will require the necessary investments in students, teachers, and families to ensure everyone has the resources they need to achieve.

Possible Changes to U of M Regent Selection

The omnibus higher education finance bill also includes a handful of new policy provisions. Most notably, one provision would modify the University of Minnesota’s Regent selection process by dissolving the citizen Regent Candidate Advisory Council and replace it with a Legislative Commission on Regent Selection comprised of lawmakers.

Protecting Pensions

After several years of efforts, we’re on the verge of making progress to improve the solvency of our state’s public employee pension plans. Our teachers, police officers, and other Minnesotans who have worked hard for Minnesota and our communities their entire careers deserve economic security upon retirement. The bipartisan fix would include contribution increases from both the employees and state, changes to early retirement policies, and some small decreases in cost of living adjustments for retirees. This fix would go a long way as it cuts Minnesota’s long-term liability in half.

I’m fearful that similarly to recent years, this bill may be used as a bargaining piece during end-of-session negotiations between the Governor and legislative leadership. It would be irresponsible to let a solution so many people have worked so hard on slip away. This is the fiscally responsible solution to promises that we made to our public workers and I support quick passage.

MNLARS

One issue I’ve heard about from many folks this session is the new Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS). The rollout of this system last year had significant problems and caused delays for Minnesotans seeking vehicle titles and completing similar transactions. When such a fundamental government service isn’t working right, we have an obligation to ensure it’s fixed.

Earlier this session, we delivered emergency resources to our state’s Driver and Vehicle Services division to keep information technology professionals on board to continue system repairs. I am pleased that the legislature has acknowledged our deputy registrars who have experienced countless headaches working with the system and passed a bill providing funds for much needed relief.

NICWA and HF 3375: MMIW

Last week I was fortunate to visit Anchorage, Alaska to attend and present at the NICWA (National Indian Child Welfare Act) Conference. Each year, NICWA hosts the largest national gathering on American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) child advocacy issues. The four-day national conference addresses tribal child welfare and well-being. Keynote speakers range from federal officials at the highest level of government to foster parents and youth who have experience in child welfare systems. I was proud to share the incredible work of the Minneapolis ICWA Law Center and respond to questions on my bill, HF3375, the creation of a task force to study missing and murdered Indigenous women in Minnesota. Read this article to learn more about my bill.

Students Demand Gun Reform

Schools are meant to be places of sanctuary, safety, and learning for our children. For the second time in two months, students from across the country streamed out of class as part of a National School Walkout to demand action on gun reform. I joined students at St. Anthony High School this past Friday, along with thousands of students across the US, as they left their classes in solidarity to observe a moment of silence for shooting victims. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to and walk with staff and students to remember the 200+ students, teachers, and staff who have been traumatized by gun violence.

House Image

As always, it’s a pleasure to be your voice at the Capitol as we work together to make sure the things our community values are a priority.  

All the best,

MaryKP