By Rep. Paul Anderson
The legislative session kicked off this week, with members of the Minnesota House being gaveled in at noon Monday. The dynamics compared with last year are not the same, since this is not a budget year (our two-year budget is set in odd-numbered years). Another aspect that’s different is the $19 billion surplus we had last year, which has all been allocated and will be spent, quite possibly to be replaced by a modest deficit when the current biennium ends in June of next year.
Sessions in even-numbered years are sometimes called the “bonding session,” which is when the state finances large projects through passage of a capital investment bill and the issuance of general obligation bonds. Many of these projects are either public infrastructure such as water treatment plants or roads and bridges or what’s called asset preservation. These bonding bills require a super majority of votes to pass and can sometimes be part of last-minute negotiations. The passage of bonding bills is not assured and, occasionally, they don’t get done.
One of the first items to be debated by legislators is revisions to the School Resource Officer (SRO) situation. Last year’s education bill contained language that put in question the role of these police officers who serve in our schools. There was discussion of a special session to clear up language in the bill but that didn’t happen. Now, the DFL majority has brought forward legislation they say will fix the situation. It’s scheduled to be heard in both the Education and Public Safety committees this week.
At last word, however, the new language does not have the full support of law enforcement. The bill itself is lengthy, eight pages long, and contains language that says SROs are expressly prohibited from being used to deliver discipline for violations of school policies. To me, “violations of school policies” is a wide-ranging definition that could include many types of behavior. It doesn’t offer the clarity that many in law enforcement were seeking. Hopefully, it can be amended so we get this important legislation passed. SROs play an important role in school safety and in relationship building between students and law enforcement.
It's also expected that tax legislation will move quickly early in the session to remedy a situation from last year’s tax bill that deals with standard deductions. Inflation factors were omitted, which resulted in a $350 million error. Also needing attention is language relating to something called “Net Operating Losses.”
A topic sure to attract discussion because of its huge cost is the $730 million project to remodel and expand the State Office Building (SOB), which has long been the home for House members and various other staff. Work has begun and some staff have already been moved out of the SOB. When session ends, the entire building will be vacated and our offices moved across the Capitol Mall to the Centennial Building.
Other bills that have drawn early attention include one that would designate Minnesota as a “sanctuary state,” and another that would make assisted suicide legal in Minnesota. I expect a great deal of opposition to the sanctuary state legislation, as it would ban local or state law enforcement from assisting federal agencies in immigration cases.
We have seen the problems caused in other states when they are impacted by large numbers of immigrants. One Minnesota county, McLeod, held a special meeting this past Saturday, during which their commissioners unanimously passed a resolution urging the Legislature to not support the sanctuary bill. They cited the negative impacts on budgeting taxpayer dollars and public resources.
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