Greetings,
We’re in our final week of session, and I wanted to give you an update on how various initiatives are progressing.
REAL ID Passage
Yesterday, the House passed a bill – on a bipartisan vote of 87-42 – to move Minnesota one step closer to compliance with the federal REAL ID Act. We learned this week that Governor Dayton’s request for an extension was denied by Homeland Security, and we have to move toward complying or Minnesotans will not be able to board commercial airplanes after the 2018 deadline, or 2020 should we receive an extension. This makes it more important to pass this bill now to ensure compliance for our residents.
The House bill works toward an October 2016 implementation date so our residents can go through their usual four-year renewal process without making an extra trip to the DMV before the 2020 hard deadline. Minnesotans deserve the peace-of-mind to know they can board a commercial airplane with their state-issued ID card, and this bill provides that assurance.
It is likely a House and Senate conference committee will need to be appointed to iron out the differences between the two different bills.
Budget Negotiations
With time running out in the biennium, it’s time for legislative leaders and the governor to negotiate our big bills like road and bridge funding, tax relief, and supplemental budgets. The main issue seems to be transportation funding. The House’s current proposal is $6 billion over 10 years without raising the tax on gasoline. We’ve used parts of the original House plan and parts of Governor Dayton’s plan to try and meet at a true middle ground. I’m hopeful we can deliver a road and bridge package to help aid our transportation needs.
Bonding Bill
Earlier today, the House GOP released our bonding proposal totaling $800 million. Within the bill is $227 million for local road and bridge projects, $130 million for water infrastructure, and $137 million for higher education. More details will be provided in future updates.
Please Contact Me
With session closing out on Monday, we’ll be debating and passing final bills. I’ll keep you posted on what’s happening, but hope you’ll continue to contact me with any questions or concerns. I can be reached at 651-296-7808 or by email at rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Tim