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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jeff Howe (R)

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A look at emerging bills

Friday, May 10, 2013

Dear Neighbor,

 

A little more than one week remains in the session and we are still waiting for the House and Senate majorities to unveil a final budget proposal.

 

It’s getting down to crunch time, to say the least, and not all of the conference committees that must resolve differences between House and Senate versions of bills have even met yet. Instead, the House majority passed bills this week that would include reduced local control in our schools, added significant costs on energy bills and a redefinition of marriage.

 

Here is a quick look at them:

 

BULLYING BILL

This week the House passed a bill requiring schools to create anti-bullying policies. Schools not enacting a local policy must adopt policy developed by the state. A state-run School Climate Center would oversee compliance. This ends up being an unfunded mandate is projected to cost up to $50 million per biennium statewide, with smaller school districts likely to see higher costs than larger districts.

 

Our schools should have policies to prevent bullying, but this bill is an unfunded mandate leaving too little control at the local level. Our school districts and parents should have control of these decisions and are more responsive to the needs of any particular area. Instead, this bill puts decisions in the hands of the state. I would prefer keeping the millions of dollars that is projected to run that agency in the classroom and let parents/school boards enact policies to suit their specific needs.

 

REDEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

The House also passed a bill that would redefine marriage in Minnesota. I voted against this proposal because I support traditional marriage. A legislative survey I conducted myself shows 72 percent support traditional marriage, 20 percent in support of same sex marriage and 8 percent undecided. A recent Star Tribune survey had similar results in Greater Minnesota. 


Sixteen years ago, the Legislature codified marriage as being only between persons of the opposite sex and prohibited marriage between persons of the same sex. Now, the House approved legislation that redefines lawful marriage as a civil contract from being between a man and a woman to between any two persons. 

 

The timing of this proposal is unfortunate as some of these issues are being reviewed by the Supreme Court and we may have to revisit this issue. The majority said our focus should be on jobs and the economy; social issues which divide citizens should be left alone. We were told that nothing would change and traditional marriage would remain intact if voters denied a one-man, one-woman constitutional amendment. We were then told that this issue would not be addressed until the budget work was complete.

 

We are now with less than 10 days till the end of session with a redefinition of marriage approved and still no budget.

 

ENERGY BILLS WOULD RISE

Another bill passed by the House this week includes mandates which would increase energy bills for almost all hardworking Minnesotans. The bill requires a 40-percent renewable energy standard by 2030 for all investor-owned utility companies. This includes a 4-percent solar mandate, with a goal of 10-percent. Even low-income citizens would be paying more and those people who can afford this technology, owners of solar devices, would receive subsidies and will pay less.

 

This bill is bad news for the hardworking taxpayers and businesses in Minnesota. There are provisions in this bill that shield companies on the Iron Range and certain types of utilities from rate hikes caused by the solar mandates. Those on the Iron Range said they would be less competitive than other areas so they needed to be exempt from the solar mandate. 

 

If it makes those companies on the Iron Range less competitive will it not make the companies in the rest of the state less competitive? More to follow…   

 

Last week, I noted how the bills currently passed would create almost 1,300 state government jobs. To put that in perspective, it would be like adding everyone in Avon Township to the state’s payroll. Again, I am all for helping more citizens get back to work, but we should be focusing on creating a healthy economy and a thriving private sector, not increasing the number of state employees.

 

Thanks again for your continued support and good luck,

Jeff