What made Rochester area legislators happy, disappointed in the session
Jul. 8—With new state budget signed and sealed and a raft of new laws passed, the PB asked
Rep.
Happy about:
One accomplishment I'm pleased with is the historic investments in the early childhood and learning space. This includes raising the
Another provision I'm really pleased about is the
Disappointed with:
The biggest one is is police reform and accountability. In the year after the killings of
Another disappointment for me was not passing paid family and medical leave. No one should have to choose between caring for a loved one and being able to keep their job and pay their bills. We can and should build this social safety net. This is a benefit that many already have, but that everyone deserves.
Rep.
Happy about:
As the pandemic winds down, the last thing Minnesotans needed to face was a government shutdown. A
Perhaps our biggest achievement was delivering tax relief to businesses. All Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans were forgiven to support our businesses who needed those funds to keep their doors open in 2020.
Disappointed with:
My biggest concern with this budget is the failure to extend reinsurance for a sixth year or provide funding to pay for the program for an additional two years. Reinsurance is
We also should have addressed changes to the Chapter 12 Emergency Powers statute to rein in the power of the Governor and make sure future governors can't abuse emergency powers. The emergency powers prevented the Legislature from fulfilling our constitutional role as a co-equal branch of government. We must make changes to Chapter 12 so the balance of power is respected in future crises.
Rep.
Happy about:
An historic increase in funding for E-12 education, including the
A once-in-a-generation
Disappointed with:
After the murder of
Sen.
Happy about:
The passage of federal tax conformity so that businesses that stayed open during COVID-19 and retained and paid their employees did not have to pay
The passage of a bill I authored related to reforming our criminal sexual conduct statutes. If a victim of rape is self-intoxicated at the time of the rape, the rapist can now be prosecuted. Previously, the rapist could not. Penalties for sexually assaulting youth and nursing homes residents were increased. Persons guilty of using their status or power to coerce sex from an individual may now be prosecuted for a new crime called "Sexual Extortion." The statue of limitations on crimes involving sexual predators was lifted. If a person sexually molests a victim, they are subject to prosecution for forever. The life experience of a close person friend prompted my pursuing this change in the law.
Disappointed with:
It took until the last day of the session to pass a "should not have been" non-controversial bonding "fix-it" bill. This is a bill that created technical fixes in language in the
The construction of a new
While very good energy legislation was passed, I was disappointed that I was not able to get my Clean Energy First bill across the line. Clean energy and decarbonization are a part of our future providing us with a cleaner environment and, if we do it right, the opportunity to grow a high-tech industry in
Sen.
Happy about:
As Senate Tax Chair and lead negotiator of the tax bill, I am glad we passed nearly a billion dollars in tax relief which was in stark contrast to the House and Governor's proposal which called for roughly a billion dollars of tax increases. The bill included relief from Payroll Protection Program and bonus pandemic unemployment taxation. There is simply no reason why we should have asked folks to pay taxes on this emergency assistance. Businesses relied on those loans to keep people employed during the worst of the pandemic, and many of them are still struggling.
I am very happy to see my amendment included in the health and human services budget that captures federal funding to provide a boost for disability supports. My amendment captured significant federal resources to better serve Minnesotans with disabilities. The bill supports services to help each person live as independently as possible and includes access to programs while prioritizing our most vulnerable populations.
Disappointed with:
I have long been an advocate for targeted high-quality early learning scholarships, and I wish we would have seen my sponsored legislation, SF-705, included in the education budget bill. More than 33,000 children across
I wish we would have seen my biosimilars legislation, SF-990, acted on this session. Biosimilars make the drug market more competitive, thereby helping to level the playing field for manufacturers , drive down out-of-pocket costs for consumers, and spur innovation — enhancing patient access and helping to prevent dangerous delays in care. We can quickly make a big dent in the sky-high cost of health care simply by expanding access to much more affordable and safe biosimilar versions of biologic prescription drugs.
Rep.
Happy about:
Matthew's Law, improved confidential informant policy and support bill.
Increased funding for local transportation projects.
Disappointed with:
No provision to re-open or prioritize in-person learning this fall, and effectively recover the lost learning that happened over the past year. Chapter 12, the statute that contains Emergency Powers provisions, is in need of major reform. Our government was never designed to be run by one man for this long a period of time. We need to promote working together.
___
(c)2021 the Post-Bulletin
Visit the Post-Bulletin at www.postbulletin.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Georgia Power continues to assess damage and restore power following Tropical Storm Elsa
NXTsoft and The Rinehart Agency Partner to Offer Complete Cybersecurity Package to Businesses in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News