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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Abigail Whelan (R)

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Legislative Update (4-8-16)

Friday, April 8, 2016

Dear Neighbors,

It was another busy week at the Capitol as a number of bills were heard in committee. Here is a brief recap on a handful of issues that were discussed.

Supplemental Budget Targets

The Ways & Means Committee met this week and set budget targets. The current House proposal is for a net-zero increase, meaning that some areas may see increased spending such as roads while others may see a decrease. However, the net change in spending is still zero.

Transportation, Taxes & a Northstar Proposal

Earlier today, I attended a round-table discussion with the Lieutenant Governor and Commissioner of Transportation, Charles Zelle. There were a number of local officials also in attendance.

Both the Lieutenant Governor and Transportation Commissioner advocated for increasing revenue in order to meet our transportation needs.

While we disagreed on what constitutes a “need”, there seemed to be general agreement on the need for rail safety. In addition to rail safety, discussion focused on light rail and other transit services—all of which are subsidized by the state government.

To that end, I would like to briefly explain a vote I took in the Transportation Committee last week—a bill that would allow for the Northstar Commuter Train to expand to St. Cloud.

I am generally opposed to expansion, however, this specific proposal presented a scenario where the operating costs of the train could be equal to or less than current losses. The author of the bill, Chairman Knoblach, approached me before the bill was heard in committee and explained that the bill explicitly does not allow state money to go towards the expansion.

In addition to our conversation, Rep. Knoblach assured members during committee that as the bill moves forward he would ensure that the provision preventing state investment would remain in the bill. Given his reassurances, I voted to pass the bill through committee hoping that it could continue to be refined and improved upon. To quote Chairman Knoblach, "[T]he Northstar line is the biggest money loser of all Minnesota’s rail lines. Things aren’t improving, so it makes sense to try something new.” He went on to point out that shutting it down will cost the state millions: "The deal that was negotiated to start Northstar…requires the state to pay back the federal government the $100+ million it got from them if we shut down the line.”

By voting it through committee I was voting to continue the conversation, as I think it is important to look at ways that could save the state money. However, after some more conversations in the House, I am not convinced the bill will save the state money and do not support the bill moving forward.

Please know that while there will likely be things in a final transportation bill that I do not like or support, I will continue to do all I can to advocate for a transportation plan that invests in rail safety, roads and bridges, with no increase in taxes.

Aborted Fetal Tissue Research at the U of MN

My bill to withhold $14 million from the University of Minnesota until they cease research on aborted fetal tissue was heard in the Higher Education Committee on Tuesday.

While the hearing went well, the university believes this is a de-facto budget cut because they insist human fetal tissue research is only possible with aborted fetal tissue.

This is not only untrue, but a very dangerous path to walk down. I provided information during the hearing on research that has been done with fetal material from babies that die of natural causes as well as alternative research options. Indeed, there is much evidence to show that aborted fetal tissue research is a not only poor investment (having failed to produce any cures to any diseases in the past several decades), but it can also be harmful.

I am still hopeful we can reach a solution on this issue, but there is definitely work ahead.

Non-Essential Travel Ban Response

Recently North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law a requirement to use bathrooms/locker rooms matching one’s biological sex in order to keep men out of women's bathrooms/showers. In addition to North Carolina’s law, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law the “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act” in recognition of the need to ensure protection of religious liberty. In response, Gov. Dayton this week enacted a ban on all non-essential state business travel to North Carolina and Mississippi.

This concerns me for two main reasons:

1.) If we are going to start banning state employee travel based on political differences, we should also ban travel to the many countries around the world with terrible human rights records, among other things.

2.) The fact that any non-essential travel occurs on the taxpayer’s dime.

To that end, I and other colleagues are working on a way to address the question of "non-essential" travel. I will keep you updated.

Anoka-Hennepin School Event

I wanted to let folks know about an event taking place April 19th at the Anoka-Hennepin School District Employee Service Center that allows parents and guardians to view the Genderbread Training Video that was shown to all district teachers.

Many parents across the district are concerned about this video as it instructs teachers on how to approach a variety of gender-related issues.

If you’re interested in attending, the details are:

Tuesday, April 19, 2016
5:00 pm
Anoka-Hennepin School District
Employee Service Center
Room 113

Staying in Touch

Thanks to the number of local groups and constituents who took time to visit me in St. Paul this week!

It’s always great to speak with local groups and I encourage you to set up an appointment with my office if you are planning on coming to the capitol this year. It would be great to speak with you!

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments, or concerns on anything related to state government. It would be an honor to discuss your ideas on how we can make Minnesota better for everyone. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-1729 or via email at rep.abigail.whelan@house.mn.

You can also stay up-to-date on everything that is happening in St. Paul by visiting my Facebook page and Twitter account.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Abigail