Hello Friends,
This week the pace at the capital is reaching record speeds. Our first deadline for this year's bills is March 20th. Committee hearings often go as late as 10 pm.
This is a good thing! It means we are getting the job that you sent us to do, done!
This week I have three things to touch on.
First, I have been working on helping the folks in the cottage food industry. They are people who work from home, baking and canning foods. They sell their delicious goods to supplement their incomes. Up until now, people in this industry were limited to $5000 per year in sales from this business.
As we all know, after taxes, this doesn't amount to much. My bill HF# 910, would allow people up to $18,000 in gross sales, per year. We have strong bipartisan support for this bill as well as support from the state agencies charged with overseeing this industry. This bill will be moving forward through a few more committees. We hope to have it passed on the house floor before the end of April.
Second, I was able to pass HF # 333 in committee on Monday. This is the bill that would require legislative approval of any state plan to carry out the coming EPA emission mandates for power plants. The committee went for over 2 hours. There was rigorous debate and discussion. But, we got it through, onto the next committee. We need to pass this bill. Two years ago, MNSure was rammed through the legislature and it turned out to be a huge problem for the people in our state. I do not want to repeat that mistake with our statewide power plan! We need to make sure that our futures are directed by the people YOU elected to office and not to a few bureaucrats who work for state agencies.
Third, I am the chief author of an Emergency Powers Firearms bill. HF #722. This bill would prevent law enforcement personnel from confiscating legally owned firearms from law abiding citizens during periods of declared emergencies. We saw this occur many times during Hurricane Katrina. Law enforcement and military personnel were ordered by the mayor to go door-to-door and confiscate firearms from law abiding citizens. This left them unable to defend themselves.
Currently, over 30 states have laws that protect our 2nd Amendment rights during times of emergency. My bill would add Minnesota to that list. So far, it has cleared one committee and is working its way through the Minnesota House. I expect it to get to the House floor in April.
Have a GREAT week! Enjoy this PERFECT weather!
God's peace,
Jim