Dear Neighbor,
We are wrapping up another productive week of the 2018 legislative session, where the main focus was on bringing bills into the initial phases of the legislative process. The vast majority of our time at this point is being spent in committee meetings to conduct public hearings for bills to make preliminary progress ahead of the first legislative deadline, which is only a couple of weeks away and coming fast.
I will pass along more details on some of this session’s bills, including ones I am authoring, as things move along. Before I get to an update on other items from this week, I want to circle back to some interesting employment-related factoids following the economic forecast we received last week showing a $329 million surplus:
- Minnesota has its lowest unemployment rate in 17 years. Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.1 percent, 1.0 percentage point below the national rate and 0.9 percentage points lower than a year ago.
- There are now fewer unemployed job-seekers than open positions across the state. The ratio of unemployed persons to job vacancies statewide has hovered between 1.0 and 1.2 for the last three years, but it is now less than one at 0.9.
It is good to see the hard work of Minnesotans boosted by decisions at the state and federal levels are delivering for our economy.
Student safety
Tuesday was Student Safety First Day in the House featured a number of committees hearing bills on this subject. This includes reviewing last year’s $405,000 investment in the School Safety Center, part of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. House members also introduced legislation allowing schools to use the long-term facilities maintenance revenue program for school facility safety. Support for school security and mental health initiatives are top priorities on this issue.
3M settlement
I had a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee I chair on the state’s recent $850 million ground contamination lawsuit settlement with 3M. There are some serious questions about this settlement, such as how much overhead the Pollution Control Agency is going to get for itself in overseeing the settlement, and the fact that they actually have authority to spend potentially hundreds of millions of dollars around the state on projects that have nothing to do with the contamination the settlement is supposed to address in the East Metro. I strongly believe we need to make sure this money actually goes to help people that have been affected by the ground contamination, not to the bureaucracy or projects it wants to do elsewhere.
I am among House members seeking answers from Attorney General Lori Swanson on questions regarding the fact the state spent $125 million in legal fees by contracting with a private law firm for this case. That is $125 million in contamination clean-up funds that will never be used for that intended purpose because it is going to lawyers. The Attorney General already has hundreds of attorneys on its staff; while they probably needed some outside specialized counsel, I have to wonder if they needed to spend this kind of money on them.
Opioid awareness
The opioid epidemic has received a good deal of coverage recently as they are killing more and more people in Minnesota and around the country. My brother in law actually died from opioid abuse some years ago, so this issue hits home to me in an especially personal way. The Second Annual Opioid Awareness Day took place at the Capitol and the first hearing took place for the Opioid Family Recovery Act (HF1440). The legislation would place a pill tax on pharmaceutical companies for all opioid painkillers sold in Minnesota. The resulting revenue is estimated to total $15-$20 million per year, and would be used toward installing a “doctor shopping” prevention system for providers, as well as child protection, community grants, treatment centers, and prevention and education. I don't yet have a position on this particular bill, but do feel we need to do something this year.
One of next week’s big headlines undoubtedly will surround the annual State of the State Address from the governor 7 p.m. Wednesday. I may include my thoughts on his speech next time.
The schedule of visitors at the Capitol remains busy, including groups advocating for issues in our area. Among them this week was the Highway 23 Coalition, which is looking to improve accessibility and safety on two sections of that road to the west of us, between Richmond and New London.
Look for more news soon and, as always, I welcome your input.
Sincerely,
Jim