Greetings –
Over the weekend, the governor continued evaluating our budget bills and took action on many important pieces of legislation.
Provision Included in Public Safety Bill
The Public Safety bill included my provision to appropriate funds for veteran de-escalation training programs for our local law enforcement officials. This training program will be a valuable asset to help our law enforcement officials address the needs of returning soldiers in crisis situations.
The Public Safety bill passed the House 116-15, and the Senate 55-9. It was signed into law by Governor Dayton this past week.
Pensions
The bipartisan Pensions bill, which I carried, was signed by Governor Dayton. The bill fulfills our obligations to our state employees while implementing cost-saving measures for the state.
The bill passed the House unanimously, and the Senate 53-4.
State Government Finance
Our State Government Finance bill passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support, and was signed by the governor. It included provisions to streamline government processes, including a provision to allow local governments the opportunity to contract with private audit firms versus utilizing the services provided by the State Auditor’s office.
The bill passed the House 71-61, and the Senate 44-21.
Elections and Campaign Finance
Both the bipartisan Elections omnibus bill and Campaign Finance omnibus bill were signed by the governor. Our Elections bill clarified local government election law, removed obsolete language from state law, and established statewide filing fees for local office. Our Campaign Finance omnibus bill clarified campaign disclaimer laws for items where disclaimers would be implacable, instituted a uniform standard for penalties for candidates that accept donations larger than those allowed under state law, and eliminated the Political Contribution Refund (PCR) program.
The Elections bill passed the House and Senate unanimously. The Campaign Finance bill passed the House unanimously, and the Senate 32-27.
Job Growth and Energy Affordability
Our Job Growth and Energy Affordability budget, supported by my House and Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle, was vetoed by the governor. This bill included many great measures for our district, including additional resources for workforce housing in Greater Minnesota, greater investments in broadband, and energy reforms to promote cleaner, cheaper energy.
The bill passed the House 75-9, and the Senate 34-29.
Environment and Agriculture
Governor Dayton vetoed our Environment and Agriculture bill, which was passed with bipartisan support in both chambers. The bill included compromised language reached by Governor Dayton, Senate DFL, and House Republicans for buffer zones on Minnesota farmland. It also lowered the age limit for youth operators of ATVs, and funded for several environment agencies and resources in Minnesota.
The bill passed the House 83-50, and the Senate 35-30.
Special Session
It was announced yesterday that we will soon return for a Special Session at the State Office Building. In this Special Session, we will have the opportunity to pass new versions of the vetoed bills and address other areas, such as Bonding and Legacy, that were left unresolved. We will continue to focus on working in a bipartisan manner to address the issues Minnesotans face.
I will continue to stay in touch as we learn more about the timing of our Special Session. As always, please continue to reach out to me to share your thoughts. You can reach me via phone at (651) 296-3780, or via email at rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn.
Have a great week,
Tim O’Driscoll