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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Steve Sandell (DFL)

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Legislative Update - March 29, 2019

Friday, March 29, 2019

Hello Everyone,

This has been a particularly busy week. Today was the deadline for bills to make it out of committee hearings in order to be considered as part of this session’s budget bill. All but one of my bills have made their way through committees and remain in consideration for passage during this session.  The exception is House File 2079, which essentially is a bill offering a fundamental change in the way we finance K-12 education. It eliminates operating referendums, provides a 20% reduction in homestead property tax, and spreads new revenue from capital gains and estate tax throughout the state—including districts that have lost ground while referendums have failed to pass. I’ve spoken with legislators, school district personnel, school board members, and even the new Commissioner of Education Mary Cathryn Ricker about the bill. We’ll see what happens.

 

Town Hall

Thanks very much for the great turn-out at our Town Hall session this week. It was a pleasure to see so many neighbors who had been part of the campaign—both Republicans and Democrats—and continue some of those conversations. Hearing from Attorney General Keith Ellison and Sen. Susan Kent made the event even more useful and interesting. The questions were challenging and thoughtful. We’re planning another Town Hall in mid-April. I’ll let you know about the details as soon as they’re confirmed.

Stopping the Opioid Crisis

This issue should make everyone stop and think. More than 400 Minnesotans have died of opioid overdose in 2017. A stunning reality. I voted for HF 400 last week in the House. The bill is an effort to hold irresponsible pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in creating this crisis. The legislation would support a wide range of addiction prevention, education, intervention treatment and recovery strategies.

There’s more to learn about the crisis here from MPR.

Driving, Safety and Phones

Distracted driving is a factor in one out of every five automobile accidents. In Minnesota an average of 53 deaths and 216 serious injuries every year are the result of distracted driving. Last week, we passed a bill introduced by Rep. Frank Hornstein of Minneapolis that would require drivers to put down their phones and focus on the road while driving. Common sense, it seems to me. A driver would be fined $125 for the first infraction, and $350 on the second. The penalties are the same as those restricting texting. The Senate passed a similar version on the bill.

Sixteen other states and the District of Columbia have hands-free cell phone laws.

Education

I’m on both the Education Policy and Ed Finance Committees of the House and I often get a chance to talk with teachers, administrators, school board members, students and their parents from all over Minnesota about the issues that affect their schools. A group of educators from the South Washington County schools spent time in my office on Thursday. We talked about the growing responsibilities of schools and classroom teachers; the importance of providing adequate services for children with special needs; attention to mental health counselling and safety in school buildings; and the role teachers play in the economy and social structure of our state. It was a fascinating conversation.

 

I’m also the author of four other bills affecting schools and teaching. Those bills would support concurrent enrollment, sometimes referred to as College in the Schools; provide support for service learning in schools; strengthen the Minnesota Council of Economic Education; and require licensure for teachers in school district pre-school programs.

Students at the Capitol

Every week there’s a new group of high school students here to serve as pages in the House of Representatives. They offer a great support for members and staff, and they get an inside look at how things happen here. Once in a while I get a chance to talk with the group.

Grandparents and Grandchildren

Minnesota law provides parents the opportunity to be away from work for up to 16 hours over a 12 month period to attend parent conferences and other school-related meetings if the events cannot be scheduled at other times. I’m carrying a bill that would provide the same privilege to custodial grandparents.

Sincerely,

Steve Sandell