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Greetings,
Committee work continues in earnest in the Minnesota House as committee deadlines are approaching fast.
COMMITTEE DEADLINES ARE FAST APPROACHING
The first deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin, and the second deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other house. Both of those deadlines this year will be April 4. The third deadline is for committees to act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills, and that date will be April 11. If a bill fails to meet these deadlines, it is essentially dead for the rest of the year, which is why it’s important for legislation to have received a hearing.
HELPING THE LABOR SHORTAGE
The Minnesota House Commerce Committee recently heard my bill that would allow a 17-year-old waiter or waitress to serve alcoholic beverages at a bar or restaurant. Current law requires anyone serving alcohol to be aged 18 or older.
Under this bill, 17-year-olds would receive the same training and supervision as other staff members serving alcohol. To me, the legislation is a win-win situation: It gives business owners a choice to employ high school juniors and seniors and develop a working relationship, and it gives 17-year-olds another work opportunity that could lead to significant tip revenue that they could use to help pay for college. It also addresses some of the labor problems being found in the hospitality industry. This is a proposal I’ve been working to get into state law for a number of years.
LOCAL PROJECT DISCUSSIONS
I continue to work behind the scenes to rally legislative support for our Benton County Road 1 proposal. In addition to the improvements that are being made at the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School campus, safety upgrades on County Road 1 will be needed for increased traffic. My bill would secure capital investment funds for this purpose, and it is strongly supported by Benton County, the City of Sauk Rapids, and the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District.
I’m also working on legislation that would help pay for a sewer lift station in Holdingford, as well as a bill that would help Sauk Rapids deal with its PFAS issues. PFAS are per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances that are found in groundwater supplies.
KEEP IN TOUCH
As always, I'm continuing to support constituent needs. Feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected] or by phone at 651-296-7808.
Have a good weekend,
Tim
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