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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Bob Dettmer (R)

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Legislative News from Rep. Bob Dettmer

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Hello from the State Capitol,

 

The Minnesota Legislature has returned to St. Paul after Governor Walz called a special session on June 14. The biggest item on our plate: passing a state budget.

 

Not one spending bill for any area within state government was agreed to by both the House and Senate during our regular session.

 

House Democrats would like to move these budget bills off the House floor quickly, which is problematic considering few people were allowed to help craft the bills. Moving forward, House Republicans have five items we would like addressed during the special session. They include passing reinsurance, ending Governor Walz’s emergency powers, allowing the Legislature to appropriate federal funding, ending the federal unemployment supplement, and making bonding corrections to last year’s bonding bill so projects can move forward.

 

House Republicans have now voted 21 times to end the governor’s emergency powers, and Democrats continue to stand in the way. We believe the governor should be working with the legislature on issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, not acting as the only decision maker.

 

Over the next few days, budget bills will slowly reach the House floor for debate. The first four include agriculture finance, commerce, higher education finance, and Legacy funding. Worth noting, the Legacy bill includes funding to make campground improvements at the Disabled Veterans Camp on Big Marine Lake.

 

I will continue to keep you updated on special session happenings as things move forward.

 

Talk to you soon,

 

Bob