February 5, 2013
Dear friends,
This week looks to be a busy one here at the Capitol as the legislature starts to shift from overviews of policy areas to substantive work on issues. Starting today, legislative committees will be hearing a variety of bills related to gun violence prevention. In addition, on Wednesday, Governor Dayton will be presenting his State of the State address to outline his vision for Minnesota. I also wanted to provide an update on my ongoing work on children’s mental health issues and racial justice.
Gun Violence Legislation
In light of President Obama’s visit to Minnesota on Monday and the recent national and local debate on gun violence, this week the legislature will be hearing a variety of bills to address gun control. I have authored two bills relating to gun violence—both dealing with equal penalties for concealed carry permit holders and non-permit holders who carry weapons into prohibited areas.
The present situation violates the traditional value of equality before the law by establishing lower potential consequences for permit-holders who violate the law than non-permit holders. Currently, permit holders are held to lower potential consequences than non-permit holders when carrying guns into places where guns are prohibited or limited, such as schools, day care centers and businesses who post signs to ban guns on their grounds. I believe simply that the same behavior should result in the same potential legal consequences.
While my proposals attempt to close a loophole, they will likely face strong opposition from advocates such as the National Rifle Association who feel that increasing penalties on concealed carry permit holders is a breach of their rights.
State of the State Address
Governor Mark Dayton will deliver his State of the State address Wednesday evening at 7:00. He will address a joint convention of the House and Senate to present his vision for Minnesota. I anticipate that the Governor will reiterate his recent budget proposals calling for an overhaul of state tax code, a balanced budget without gimmicks and key investments in public education. We have had a budget of cuts and deficits in too many years and it’s time to responsibly address our state’s fiscal situation and priorities.
Addressing Mental Health in Schools
This session I am working with many legislators and the mental health community to address the needs of children, teenagers and their families who live with a mental illness. Twenty-one percent of children between the ages of nine and seventeen have a mental illness or substance use disorder, and only twenty percent of these kids receive treatment.
While I helped coordinate a broad package of bills, I have authored a bill to fund school-based mental health services. This is a proven strategy to help schools provide mental health services to at-risk kids and families, many of whom would otherwise not be able to access such services. My bill is part of a comprehensive effort to address mental health in schools and I hope that we can see it to fruition this session.
Racial Justice Champion
I am happy to report that I have received a grade of A+ for racial justice on the 2012 Legislative Report Card on Racial Equality and have earned the ‘Racial Justice Champion’ award from the Organizing Apprenticeship Project.
I am proud to have received this award for the seventh year in a row and will continue to stand up for racial justice in Minnesota. I will continue to fight to reduce the achievement gap and support other initiatives to promote economic and social equality and fairness.
If you have any questions about these issues please feel free to contact me. My office door in St. Paul is always open, or you can reach me by phone at (651) 296-0173 or by email at rep.jim.davnie@house.mn. You can also follow me on Twitter at @jdavnie and follow the Property Tax Committee at @mnproptaxes.
I encourage you to sign up to receive Session Weekly, a nonpartisan publication of Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services. It is no longer available in print but you can sign up to receive the weekly electronic updates here: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/subscribesw.asp
Thank you for the honor of serving you at the State House.
Sincerely,
Jim Davnie
State Representative
District 63A