Legislative Update
Last night was the first long floor session of the year with a number of policy bills on the House floor. These covered education, transportation, and veterans affairs. Notably was HF 4334 by Representative Bjorn Olson which brings state veteran benefits in line with federal benefits so that eligibility is congruent. This is important to make sure we are supporting our veterans and their families.
In the Transportation bills, a recurring theme was attempting to fix the shortfall in driver's license testing availability. We brought forward several amendments to fund more testing capability and improvements to the scheduling system so that more Minnesotans can get access to this critical service. Unfortunately, the majority continued to vote down our proposals to fix this mounting issue.
As Uber and Lyft prepare to leave Minnesota we held a press conference to discuss the impact this will have on Minnesotans due to a policy passed by the Minneapolis City Council. The speakers, including House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, criticized the Democrats for resisting a simple fix that would block the policy that will kill jobs and make life more expensive and difficult for Minnesotans.
If the regulation goes into effect, Minnesota would lose a safe alternative for transportation, an option for non-emergency medical transportation, and flexible job opportunities. ?Hoping? that the city council realizes the error of their ways is not a plan. The governor and the legislature need to bring forward a fix that will stop the uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who rely on these services every day.
Time is running out as the May 1st deadline approaches and Democrats need to step up and help fix the issue in Minnesota. Our proposed bill, simply states that the city of Minneapolis does not have the authority to dictate this policy for the state of Minnesota and jeopardize critical ride-sharing services. The May 1st deadline created by Democrat elected officials is a crisis and needs to be addressed immediately.
In support of Minnesota?s police and peace officers and an abundant need for improved public safety, House Republicans have put forward our public safety package with proposals to address this mounting issue.
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Public Safety Aid Flexibility: This initiative allows local governments to use public safety aid as per their needs, unlike the previous session?s restricted $300 million aid.
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Expert Witness Disclosure: A bill requiring county attorneys to disclose expert witness information in officer-involved death incidents, in response to recent issues with the Hennepin County Attorney?s Office.
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Penalty for Illegal Firearm Transfer: I support legislation to increase penalties for ?straw man? firearm purchases. Despite an indictment related to a Burnsville shooting, House Democrats have yet to advance this legislation.
House Democrats have not yet moved the legislation forward. It is unfortunate that the majority often takes the language of a bill proposed by Republicans and creates a new bill so that one of their own can take full credit. However, I am still hopeful that these public safety proposals will be discussed in the coming weeks.
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