For the third consecutive year, the time allotted by the Minnesota Constitution was not quite enough for the Legislature to finish its work. Despite a $1.65 billion surplus and a clear to-do list, another special session was needed.
Negotiations for this special session were between a handful of Republican legislative leaders and the DFL governor, leaving most of us legislators — and most of Minnesota — in the dark. Regrettably, this Washington, D.C., style of politics seems to be taking over in St. Paul more each year. At the 11th hour, sprawling budget bills turned up with harmful provisions inserted and good policies removed. When sleep-deprived legislators start voting on bills in late-night sessions, insiders usually gain, the public often loses, and no one is held accountable.
Here is one example of what can be lost without transparency. Earlier this year, a federal rule change put your internet privacy up for sale. The Minnesota Legislature passed a provision that would protect your internet privacy. Astonishingly, despite strong, bipartisan support, this critical consumer protection was dropped. A public outcry may have preserved it, but the issue was lost in the late night rush to finish.
To fix this problem, some fundamental changes must happen. Here are some ideas. By rule, legislators should have 24 hours to review final versions of bills before a vote. Further, deadlines should be added to ensure that there is time for difficult negotiations and careful vetting of the final products.
Finally, it’s bring budget bills back in line with the Minnesota Constitution, which calls for each bill to stick to one subject. The recent trend is for bills to be bigger and bigger covering a multiplicity of topics from billion-dollar budgets to controversial policy changes. Reigning in the all or nothing, bloated budget bills would improve transparency.
Republican legislative leaders have been talking about the session through the lens of what was or wasn’t agreed to in a back room of the Capitol. This is simply unaccountable and unacceptable. Let’s put it this way: your internet browsing data should be private; the work of your elected officials should be public. But this session, the opposite was true. I am committed to solving this problem to deliver better results for Minnesotans.
Laure Pryor, Representative, District 48A, Minnetonka
Eden Prairie News, June 15, 2017