Hello from St. Paul,
The third and final committee deadline arrives Friday in the Minnesota Legislature. The third deadline is the date when committees must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.
This means House committees have been bringing forward omnibus spending bills, walking through them section by section, and allowing the public to testify. Keep in mind we passed a complete state budget last year, so no additional funding in any agency is required as state government is fully funded.
Worth noting: these deadlines do not apply to taxes or capital investment plans. A couple of notes on these proposals. Regarding taxes, the Senate’s taxes plan does include my bill that would eliminate state taxation on Social Security benefits. Unfortunately, the House Democrat proposal does not.
In capital investment, my proposal that would provide funding to the Dakota County Law Enforcement Center was heard by our House Capital Investment committee this week and held over for possible inclusion in the comprehensive capital investment package that will be unveiled soon.
Some people are a fan of local projects in bonding bills and others are not. Each year I receive numerous requests on a wide variety of ideas. I’ve found that in the best-case scenario, if you work hard and establish relationships with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, you might be able to land one or two local projects if those projects truly represent a significant regional need. This is how the HERO Center for law enforcement came to fruition in Cottage Grove, and road safety improvements along Highway 316 in Hastings were put in place.
Some members sponsor dozens of proposals and fail to prioritize them, which creates unrealistic expectations for communities as well as interested residents.
Expect to see a House capital investment proposal in the next few weeks. The legislature must complete its work by May 23.
AVIAN FLU LOOMS, BUT POULTRY REMAINS SAFE TO EAT
Cases of the highly pathogenetic avian flu (HPAI) – which impacts turkeys and chickens - continue to be detected in the upper Midwest, including a number of cases in Minnesota. You may recall 9 million birds were killed or euthanized several years ago due to the virus. In response, numerous biosecurity measures were put in place to help slow the spread of avian flu if another outbreak occurred in Minnesota.
It’s a good time to remind all that even with this looming threat, poultry products remain safe and healthy to eat. You’re doing the turkey and chicken industries a favor by continuing to purchase these products - when you can find them in the grocery store - during these troubling days.
There are resources available to learn more. Tips for backyard poultry owners can be found at www.bah.state.mn.us/media/HPAI-Notice-Backyard-Final.pdf. Comprehensive poultry biosecurity steps can be read at www.bah.state.mn.us/poultry/#biosecurity.
Finally, Friday marks the start of the legislature’s scheduled Easter/Passover break. I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday!
Tony