Dear Neighbors,
It’s been another busy week in Saint Paul. Here is an update with the latest news from the Capitol.
Local Road Wetland Replacement Bill
On Thursday, the House unanimously passed my bill, House File 434. This legislation allocates $5 million to the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) to create wetland bank service areas that are given as credits to local road authorities to offset “no net loss” requirements for any road projects that impact wetlands. This emergency funding allows BWSR to cover its obligations by purchasing credits from private wetland banks, so locally planned road construction projects can continue on-time when construction season begins later this spring.
There was an urgency to get this bill moving forward as quickly as possible for Greater Minnesota, or critical county and township road projects would be on hold when construction season begins. This is a commonsense and needed bill that will ensure local transportation projects planned by local officials from Roseau to Rochester are able to be started on time.
I am pleased it’s been fast-tracked in both the House and Senate, and hope we can get it to Governor Dayton soon for his signature.
Real ID
Also on Thursday, the House passed legislation that will allow our state to comply with federal Real ID requirements. The federal Real ID law, passed by Congress in 2005, makes it more difficult for terrorists to obtain fake identification and states must pass legislation to comply.
Without House File 3, beginning in January 2018, a Minnesota-issued driver’s license will no longer be a valid form of identification to fly commercially. It will also remedy the current problem that many military families face, not being able to visit a base or federal facility with a Minnesota ID. Once this bill is signed into law, the Department of Homeland Security will grant an extension until 2020 for full compliance.
It’s important to note that for people concerned about federal Real ID requirements, this bill provides for a two-track system, meaning people can choose whether or not to get a Real ID-compliant driver’s license. We also amended the bill to explicitly prohibit the sharing of data pertaining to the purchase, transfer, and applications of permits for firearms and ammunition. Additionally, this bill ensures that Department of Public Safety rulemaking cannot expand driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants.
Passing this legislation ensures that Minnesotans can continue to travel and visit their loved ones on military bases without undue difficulty. Its next step is to pass the Senate, and I will keep you updated on the progress of this bill.
State Tournament
Hockey tournaments are starting, and I’d like to give a shout out to the Warroad girls’ and Roseau girls’ hockey teams. Good luck in the tournament! We are rooting for you!
Regents
On Wednesday, the House and Senate in a joint meeting of the Legislature selected regents for the University of Minnesota. The new regents chosen include Ken Powell, the chairman and CEO of General Mills and former Minnesota House Speaker Steve Sviggum. David McMillan, an executive with Minnesota Power and attorney Darrin Rosha were both re-elected to serve another term with the Board of Regents as well.
It’s the Legislature’s job to elect four members to the Board of Regents every two years.
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My door is always open to the needs and priorities of our area. Please feel free to let me know if I can be of assistance to you and your family. I am here to serve you!
Dan
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