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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Dale Lueck (R)

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Legislative update

Friday, April 8, 2022

Dear Neighbor,

In response to the increased outbreak of avian influenza within Minnesota’s poultry industry, we authorized an additional $1 million in emergency funding for the Department of Agriculture and the Board of Animal Health to cover costs associated with dealing with the outbreak.

The disease is endemic to wild birds and is spread to domestic poultry flocks during the annual spring migration north. The last serious problem in Minnesota was in 2015. Nine million birds in Minnesota were either were killed outright by avian flu or had to be euthanized.

The disease is rapidly expanding. At the time of the emergency funding authorization, it has reached 11 counties, involving 21 flocks, totaling over a million birds. The disease impacts domestic poultry and wild birds. It does not represent a human health issue. The eggs and poultry products we purchase in the grocery store remain safe to consume.

For more info visit the Minnesota Board of Animal Health online, including: Tips for backyard poultry owners: https://www.bah.state.mn.us/media/HPAI-Notice-Backyard-Final.pdf. Poultry biosecurity practices: https://www.bah.state.mn.us/poultry/#biosecurity.

April 8 marks the legislative session deadline for House and Senate committees to complete work on major policy bills and supplemental budget appropriations. The focus will now shift to final passage of the bills on the floor of both bodies where they will be subject to final amendments. If there are differences in the bills from the two chambers, the bills will then go to conference committees to be reconciled.

There are major differences in the House and Senate’s approach on public safety issues. The Senate is advancing a number of common-sense public safety initiatives and carefully targeted spending to make our communities safer amid the current historic spike in violent crime.

In the House, Republicans have put forward similar legislation aimed at reversing the dramatic increase in crime by holding criminals responsible for their actions, helping recruit and retain peace officers, and providing transparency on prosecutor’s charging decisions and the court’s bail and sentencing decisions.

The House Public Safety Committee decided not to allow hearings on those bills. The House majority is focused on solutions with something called “violence-interrupters,” and significantly growing the state government bureaucracy with new full-time employees in St. Paul. The stark difference in approach will be worked out over the remaining 6 weeks of session. The Minnesota Constitution requires the legislature to adjourn no later than May 23rd. Please be safe!

Sincerely,

Dale