Week in Review: March 14-18

Spring will officially begin Sunday but deadline season is also right around the corner at the Capitol.

The first committee deadline, by when committees must act favorably on bills in the house of origin is one week from today.

That will be followed by the second committee deadline (April 1) by when committees must act favorably on bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other body.

And, lastly, the third committee deadline arrives April 8, by when committees must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.

That final deadline takes place on the cusp of the annual Easter/Passover break (April 9-18) and when lawmakers return they will have five weeks to finish their work before the regular session’s constitutionally mandated end date, this year May 23.

So don’t be surprised by longer, or extra, meetings in the days (and nights) ahead, and here’s another look at what you may have missed over the past week.

AGRICULTURE

White-tailed deer farmers could get financial help after feeling impacts of movement bans

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17251

Down payment assistance grants aim to help aspiring farmers

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17230

CIVIL LAW

Judiciary committee OKs bill to beef up protections against predatory insurance settlements

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17246

COMMERCE

MN AG: Now’s time to strengthen state’s anti-competitive statutes

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17256

EDUCATION

Schools could be prohibited from using recess restrictions to discipline young students

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17269

Education panel advances bill proposing free breakfast, lunch for all MN students

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17255

Bill seeks to help schools better cover high cost of special education needs

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17252

Education committee holds over $225 million proposal to give students more support personnel

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17239

Education panel approves measure to recruit and train school nurses

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17234

EMPLOYMENT

House legislation targets ‘loophole’ in state law protecting victims of workplace sexual harassment

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17242

Program aiming to put people on path to self-sufficiency receives bipartisan support

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17232

ENERGY

Bill aims to cut into weatherization assistance backlog

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17259

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Bipartisan proposal could secure stable funding for soil and water conservation districts

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17267

Use of lead in fishing, hunting focus of proposed Minnesota Swan Protection Act

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17261

Outdoor heritage bill gets a bump from increased sales tax revenues

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17248

Grants proposed to help MN cities, counties withstand impacts of climate change

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17237

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Legislation to end racial, ethnic discrimination in organ transplants heads to House Floor

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17266

House passes measure to provide emergency staffing, COVID-19 waivers

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17264

House panel considers $73 million plan to aid early child care providers

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17263

Reducing barriers to disability services goal of proposed task force

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17260

Legislation would fund in-home health care for infants, expecting families

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17253

A change to driving requirements for care assistants could offer greater access, cost savings

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17249

Kids suffering mental health crisis would have place to go under new proposal

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17247

State’s public health emergency preparedness in need of upgrade, House lawmaker says

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17244

Proposal would increase upper income limit for child care assistance

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17238

House panel hears bill charging advisory council to continue work to end racial, other health inequities

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17231

HOUSING

Protection of private property among concerns in bill regarding homeless encampment policies

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17250

Affordable housing — in Twin Cities and Greater MN —would be focus of new grant program

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17240

First-generation homebuyers could get down payment assistance

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17236

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bill seeks more authority for Ramsey County in setting speed limits

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17241

PUBLIC SAFETY

Public safety panel approves $3 million for inmate job training, education programs

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17262

House panel OKs proposed ‘Maya’s Law’ to give child abuse victims more privacy in interviews

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17258

RECREATION AND TOURISM
House passes proposed hike in trespassing fines for snowmobiles, off-highway vehicles

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17233

STATE GOVERNMENT

Proposed Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson gets committee OK

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17265

Proposed stadium refinance fund seeks to save state millions of dollars

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17257

Proposal to scrub state investments tied to Russia gets strong committee support

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17243

Juneteenth could become state holiday in Minnesota

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17235

TAXES

Property tax relief could be on the way via boost to annual refund

https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/17254