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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL)

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Legislative Update- May 20, 2016

Friday, May 20, 2016

Dear Neighbors,

We are less than 72 hours away from the end of session and the lack of progress is alarming and disappointing although perhaps not surprising. According to the Minnesota Constitution, we must adjourn by this Sunday at midnight, which is May 23. Below is a brief update on three legislative items of importance. Please be aware that anything could change or happen in this next 72 hours.

Transportation

Transportation “negotiations” continue. While all legislative bodies have agreed that $600 million is needed annually for transportation, House Republicans remain firm on no plan for ongoing funding. Governor Dayton offered two solutions on Monday this week: one raises the gas tax by five cents, and the other would increase license tab fees and capture the sales tax on auto parts and divert that money into a special fund dedicated to transportation. Speaker Daudt seems open to the Governor’s second option, however the issue of transit funding remains the House Majority’s political chess-piece. The House leadership has suggested doing two transportation bills, one dealing with roads and bridges and a separate one for transit. I oppose this as we should come from a one Minnesota approach and recognize that transit and roads and bridges are part of a larger transportation system.

Bonding

Yesterday, the House Bonding bill failed 69-64 due to the lack of passage by a 3/5, or 60% super majority, of the body’s vote. As the partisan divide widens over the year, there is usually one finance area the Legislature can count on for bipartisan cooperation: bonding. This is the time of the biennium where both sides of the aisle come together to prioritize fixing crumbling infrastructure and constructing needed projects across the state, regardless of where the project is located. However, this year the House Majority has specifically prioritized projects in GOP districts exclusively, even though some of the cities where the projects are located never even made a formal request for bonding aid. In my time at the Legislature, I’ve supported any number of bonding bills under both House majorities because of the fair inclusion and consideration of projects. The failure of this bonding bill is a symbol of the House majority’s inability to deliver to Minnesotans effectively. Amazingly there is now a conference committee tasked with creating a bonding bill even though neither body actually successfully passed a bonding bill this year.

Body Cameras

After several contentious committee hearings, HF 430, the bill related to body cameras for law enforcement arrived to the full House of Representatives on Monday. It passed on a vote of 95-33, with me joining the opposition. There are real privacy concerns related to police body cameras. At the same time they could also be helpful in both better educating the public about police procedures while providing an avenue for increased police accountability. The language that passed in the bill assumes that body camera video is private. The subject of the video could always access it, while the image of anyone else in the video would be blurred out. The bill does not require consent by the subjects before the use of the body cameras. Many details however are left to local governments instead of setting a statewide foundation. This will complicate things when Minneapolis police assist University of Minnesota police while operating under different local policies. In recent years Minneapolis has relied on both the Hennepin County Sheriff and State Patrol troopers for assistance. Again, there could be different policies from each department even with officers working the same beat. Several amendments were offered with a goal of a more balanced bill but none were accepted. Governor Dayton has commented on how he believes that the bill should be more balanced. It awaits his action after the House and Senate conference committee craft a final bill.

As the 2016 session is wrapping up, the question arises: Does divided government truly restore balance to our state as Republicans promised Minnesotans almost two years ago? The lack of progress says otherwise.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with me at 651-296-0173 or by email at rep.jim.davnie@house.mn.

Thank you,

Jim Davnie

State Representative