Friends,
It was another busy week at the legislature. Three of my bills were heard in committee this week and we heard dozens of other bills in various committees. Next week, there will be a hearing on my bill to make a uniform election day. This will require all special elections take place on Tuesdays, the standard day for elections to take place.
This past spring, we saw Governor Dayton call both the primary and general special elections to take place on a Monday. This proved to be confusing for many voters and resulted in a depressing turnout. My bill will help to clarify that all future special elections need to take place on a Tuesday.
Convention of States
On this upcoming Thursday, March 15th, at the Capitol in St. Paul, Mark Meckler (a founder of the original Tea Party) and Pete Hegseth (an MN native / Combat Vet / Fox and Friends co-host) will be featured speakers for a rally in support of calling a Convention of the States. Article V of the US Constitution allows a Convention of the States to be called to amend the US Constitution if two-thirds of the states call for it. This is a growing movement around the country. If you are free on March 15th, come see the beautifully restored capitol and learn more about this important issue.
Bills Heard in Committee
This week, three of my bills had hearings in committee:
- HF2780: Will require better notification, clarification, and information for daycare providers in regard to the new background checks. I'm continuing to work with providers and DHS on protecting minors and personal data. Video from the hearing is available here.
- HF3015: This bill removes the duplicative requirement for licensed family child care providers and center providers to post correction orders in their home or facility. Correction orders are required to be posted online, so the hard copy posting is seen by providers as redundant and unnecessary. Video from the hearing is available here.
- HF1933: This bill requires airport zoning ordinances to be placed on zoning maps to increase the visibility of these ordinances and consolidate relevant zoning boundaries for the benefit of business and citizens. This bill also increases flexibility by allowing for airport-specific design of zoning regulations as an alternative to using the standards contained in state rule.
Meetings this week
This week, I had the great opportunity to meet with so many people and groups interested in what is going on at the legislature. A few of them include SELCO (Southeastern Libraries Cooperative), MN Coalition for the Homeless, Mayo, Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, Optometry Association (Chris Leska from Kasson), Minnesota Pork Association (the only good pork at the Legislature), and Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents Association.
Please continue to stay in touch to share your thoughts and ideas on issues important to you. You can schedule a time to meet with me in my office anytime by calling (651) 296-9236, or share your thoughts via email by emailing me at rep.duane.quam@house.mn
Thank you and have a great weekend,
Duane