Legislative Update - Passing Policies

Hello Friends, 

It’s a busy time in the Minnesota House, with our committees finalizing policy packages and supplemental budgets. With last year’s focus on crafting our two-year state budget, much of our work this year is on these policy bills. 

As Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee, I was honored to author our committee's policy bill, which included several bipartisan measures and ultimately passed the House with support from both sides of the aisle. 

The bill includes my legislation to preclude pattern bargaining during salary negotiations with the collective bargaining units representing state law enforcement officers. This structural imbalance that we currently have has seen the state hemorrhage officers over the last decade - that’s a status quo that requires change. Minnesota needs to recruit and retain public safety officers, and ensuring competitive pay for those that protect our communities is where we should start. 

My proposal ensures that the salary scale for state law enforcement jobs becomes competitive with city and county law enforcement jobs, which should serve to benefit law enforcement pay statewide.

Another bill of mine that passed the House recently - also transportation related - would direct the Division of Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) to implement plain language standards and compose a new written portion of the driver’s examination. This one passed with even more bipartisan votes!

If a Minnesotan has the required knowledge to pass the written portion of their driver’s test, they should be able to do without the barrier of needlessly complicated or confusing language. Regardless of their background, we want safe drivers on our roads, and a huge part of that is taking and passing this test. Passing this bill complies with federal law and makes Minnesota safer. 

I’m happy to share this bill has passed the House and Senate, and is now on its way to Governor Walz’s desk!

This is just a snapshot of some of the things we’ve passed recently. If interested, I encourage you to check out these nonpartisan summaries of the policy packages we’ve passed so far in the House, including Transportation, Early Education, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Public Safety, Elections, Environment and Natural Resources, Human Services, and Commerce.

Free State Park Day - Saturday, April 27

Minnesota’s state parks are some of our greatest assets, and on Saturday, April 27, you can enjoy them for free!

Minnesota state parks are open year-round, and there's a state park within 30 miles of most Minnesotans. With a free day in each season, it's a great opportunity to get out there and explore someplace new! Whether you stay for the whole weekend or just spend a few hours outside, you'll make memories that will last a lifetime. So be sure to get out and visit our wonderful parks!

You can find more information on Free Park Day here. 

The Taylor Swift Bill

One bill that’s been getting a lot of attention is House File 1989, which some folks have been calling the Taylor Swift Bill. You don’t have to be a Swiftie to have experienced the frustration around concert tickets, especially when it ends up costing you much more than what was initially advertised. That’s why I co-authored this bill with my colleagues to ensure Minnesotans can buy tickets in a fair and transparent manner.

This was another bill that passed the House with broad bipartisan support. You can read more about the protections we passed for consumers here. 

Stay Connected

With just a month left in this year’s legislative session, now is a crucial time to touch base with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. One way to do that is by taking my brief legislative survey, which you can do here.

Besides the survey, you can also reach my office either through email Rep.Brad.Tabke@house.mn.gov or phone 651-296-8872. You’ll either hear from me or our Legislative Assistant Jared! You can also follow along on my official Facebook Page.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Brad Tabke, State Representative | Rep.Brad.Tabke@house.mn.gov

Jared Margolis, Legislative Assistant | Jared.Margolis@house.mn.gov