Dear Neighbors,
Thus far, 2,327 bills have been introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives. With work constitutionally required to wrap up by May 22 and only so many hours in a day, a structure of deadlines is necessary in order to help narrow the field of bills under consideration, and guide us toward a productive, on-time end of session. This Friday marks the first of three committee deadlines.
The first deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin; meaning a bill must be heard in either the House or Senate to continue its legislative journey. The second on March 17 is for committees to act favorably on bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other house; meaning the bills that survived the first deadline must be heard in the other body. The third and final deadline is onMarch 31, and is for committees to act favorably on major finance bills.
House committees on Capital Investment, Ways and Means, and Taxes, are exempt from committee deadlines, and the Rules Committee is able to waive deadlines on individual bills. While there is a saying that no bill is truly dead until we adjourn sine die (May of even numbered years), these are important to help us prioritize bills that will move forward.
Capitol Essay Contest
After being closed to the public for a significant, multiyear restoration, the Minnesota State Capitol is back open to the public, and will be celebrated with a Grand Opening later this summer. As part of these festivities, an essay contest is being held giving students an opportunity to describe in their own words what their State Capitol means to them and how it has shaped our collective past and will impact future generations.
Winners of the essay contest in elementary school, middle school, and high school categories will be invited to share their short essays during the grand opening festivities during the weekend of August 11-13, 2017. They will also be awarded $1,000 toward a Minnesota College Savings Plan. For more details, click HERE.
Please continue to share your feedback on the issues that are important to you. Don’t hesitate to call or email me anytime with your input, concerns, or questions.
Sincerely,
Erin Koegel
State Representative