Greetings,
House committees continued debating legislation this week as our third and final committee deadline will arrive next Friday. Plenty of House floor action also took place, and several policy bills were approved, including one containing a provision I’ve chief-authored.
PUBLIC SAFETY POLICY BILL APPROVED
Legislation designed to strengthen public safety in our state received unanimous support on the House floor. The plan does include my legislation that would authorize local law enforcement to tell certain public officials where a Level II sex offender lives.
You’ll recall unlike a Level III sex offender, those classified as Level II – labeled as having a moderate risk of recidivism - do not receive a community notification of their residence, nor is their status shared with others besides law enforcement. There are certain professions – such as assessors, property inspectors, and code enforcers – where if employees unknowingly visited homes where a Level II sex offender was living, their personal safety could be compromised. Allowing law enforcement to disclose this information with these specific government officials removes a potential unexpected risk that could occur while they’re visiting the property.
The public safety proposal also supports crime victims and recognizes their rights, makes criminal justice reforms, and modifies some duties of the Department of Corrections. The bill now heads to the Minnesota Senate for further debate.
UBER AND LYFT LEAVING MINNESOTA?
Due to a vote by the Minneapolis City Council that would, among other things, mandate higher wages and expense reimbursements for its drivers, the Uber and Lyft rideshare services announced plans to leave Minneapolis, and possibly the entire Metro Area, by May 1st. On Thursday, the Minneapolis City Council agreed to push the start date of its new policy back to July 1.
I fear that without service in the 7-county Metro Area, the companies could leave Minnesota altogether, which could impact ride-share throughout the state. We have been pushing the House majority to immediately consider legislation that would remedy this problem. Sadly, it has not considered it.
HORSE RACETRACKS SEEK HELP TO STAY ALIVE
The only places in this state where you can legally place a wager are at our horse racetracks Canterbury Park and Running Aces. Over the years they’ve seen a decline in traffic and have been seeking ways to keep the industry afloat in Minnesota.
Recently the tracks asked the Minnesota Racing Commission to allow them to install Historic Horse Racing (HHR) at their facilities. These machines would allow betters to wager on a previous race. Odds would be provided, but critical identifiers such as horse names, racetrack involved, and jockey information would not. Proponents say this is a way to keep horse racing alive as it would provide millions of dollars to the racetracks. Opponents say these are slot machines and therefore violate contracts negotiated with Minnesota’s Native American tribes.
The author of the Minnesota sports betting proposal now has legislation that would prevent Historic Horse Racing in the State of Minnesota, and the horse racing industry is pushing back very hard on this bill. We heard it on both Monday and Tuesday this week in the House Commerce Committee, where I am the Republican lead. If this bill goes into law, I am concerned about what the future holds for non-tribal gaming in this state. I will keep you updated on its progress.
PENSION LEGISLATION MOVING FORWARD
As many of you know, I serve on the pension commission. We are currently finishing up the annual omnibus pension bill, which is legislation that would shore up and will ensure the strength of our state pensions. The bill will ultimately change current statute and would improve the pension system in Minnesota.
LOCAL VISITORS
I was pleased to visit with township supervisors from central Minnesota this week. It’s always good to hear about some of the issues township governments are facing.
KEEP IN TOUCH
As always, I'm continuing to support constituent needs. Feel free to contact me anytime at rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn.gov. or by phone at 651-296-7808.
Have a good weekend,
Tim