Dear Neighbors,
It was great to see so many of you at last night’s legislative discussion. The Legislative Session starts on February 11th — stay tuned for more information on the issues likely to come up this session and a 2020 Legislative Survey.
This week’s email update takes a closer look at the transportation bill we passed in 2019, which will fund our state’s transportation system through mid-2021.
Transportation Budget
All Minnesotans deserve safe transportation, with reliable roads, bridges and transit. Crumbling roads and bridges cost the average Minnesotan more than $1,000 a year in gas, lost time, and car repairs. Transportation infrastructure keeps us safe, creates good jobs in the short and long term, and makes our state a better place to live and do business.
Minnesota is facing a $6 billion gap between our current funding and our projected needs over the next 20 years. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans blocked progress on sustainably funding our transportation system.
House DFLers will continue to work on strengthening Minnesota’s transportation system so that everyone can travel to work, school — and everywhere else — safely and efficiently.
Despite this missed opportunity, I’m pleased that we addressed the unfinished business left behind by Republicans in the 2018 session on distracted driving. We enacted a new law that requires Minnesotans to use their phones in a hands-free mode while driving, with exceptions for emergencies and one-touch activation features. Minnesotans came to the Capitol and shared their heartbreaking stories of loss, and I’m proud that in 2019, House DFLers took this important step to protect Minnesotans.
Here are some of the highlights of the transportation budget bill:
MNLARS Replacement System: $56.7 million will go to decommission the current MNLARS system and replace it with a new packaged software system currently known as the vehicle title and registration system (VTRS). This action follows the recommendation made by the Blue Ribbon IT Council that Governor Walz and legislators acted on early in 2019.
Deputy Registrar Reimbursements: $13 million is provided for reimbursements to deputy registrars for losses related to the increased workload they experienced following the 2017 MNLARS rollout.
Metro Mobility Service: $23.2 million of increased one-time funding, plus an additional $13 million that Metro Mobility could receive, if Minnesota has a positive General Fund balance for FY19.
Northstar Commuter Rail St. Cloud Extension Study: $650,000 is provided for assessment, analysis, and review of extending Northstar Commuter Rail service beyond its current terminus in Big Lake to St. Cloud. This study will be used to evaluate project validity, assess stakeholder support, and update estimated costs and potential funding mechanisms.
Highway Corridor and Bridge Improvement Studies: $1 million for studies that will help MnDOT identify and address problem areas to improve safety on highway corridors such as highways 47, 65, and 169, as well as other highway corridor and bridge problem areas across the state.
Tribal Training: $627,000 to MnDOT for their Tribal State Relations Training which provides their employees as well as those from other state agencies with training related to Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized sovereign tribal nations. This training is intended to help inform MnDOT’s work so that it is carried out in a way that respects cultural values and is consistent with tribal laws and regulations.
Soft Body Armor Reimbursements: $374,000 in deficiency funding for 2019 along with a $90,000 increase for the program which benefits local law enforcement agencies.
Active Transportation Program: Directs MnDOT to use certain federal funds for a state program that provides funding to non-profits and political subdivisions for projects related to bicycling, pedestrian activities, and other forms of non-motorized transportation.
City Speed Limits: Permits cities to establish speed limits on city streets. This does not apply to state or county roads within the city.
“Slow Poke” language clarification: This provision clarifies current statutory requirements for slow-moving vehicles on multilane highways to move out of the left-hand lane. It updates the language to say that drivers should move over to allow others to pass whenever practicable. This is simply a clarification of existing law, not a new law or a new license to speed, and it does not change or increase the existing fine structure in any way.
New Driver’s License Designations:
- Allows up to three emergency contacts to be listed in a driver’s license record.
- Allows voluntary, discreet designation on driver’s license/ID to alert law enforcement that an individual has autism or mental illness.
Window Tinting Medical Exception Expansion: Adds clarifications and provisions to allow additional family members and PCAs under the medical exception for vehicle window tinting.
School Bus-Related Provisions:
- Allows buses to reenter right-hand lane without turning right after picking up passengers and requires drivers in right-hand turn lane to yield to buses reentering from shoulder
- Changes guidelines for lamps and supplemental warning systems
- Allows additional rub rail paint colors
- Establishes exemptions for required signage
- Allows school bus operators with third party testing programs to administer tests for other school districts
Large Vehicles in Roundabouts: Allows semi-trucks to use both lanes when navigating roundabouts and requires vehicle on right to yield when two semis are in a roundabout.
On-Track Equipment: Requires vehicles and pedestrians to yield for all on-track rail equipment rather than solely trains.
Truck Hauling Provisions:
- Changes certain paper product hauling weight exemptions to be year-round
- Modifies allowances for automobile transporters
- Allows power unit to tow two trailers in certain circumstances
- Allows overweight vehicles hauling unfinished forest products on certain stretch of I-35
- Establishes weight limits for emergency vehicles operating on interstates
- Modifies special permits for overweight vehicles hauling paper products, finished forest products, or iron ore tailings to allow them to operate anywhere on Highway 53
- Specifies what agricultural products can be hauled under special overweight permit
Vehicle Platooning: Makes a number of changes and exemptions to allow vehicle platooning (using connectivity technology and automated driver support systems to travel closely together at high speeds) for up to three trucks.
Restricted License for Farm Work: Allows an individual to use a restricted farm work license for any type of farm and expands radius where license is valid to 40 miles from the farmhouse.
Tribal Transit Assistance Eligibility: Makes tribal governments eligible for public transit assistance.
Memorial Bridge and Highway Designations:
- Tom Rukavina Memorial Bridge (Virginia)
- Eisenhower Bridge of Valor (Red Wing)
- Captain Jeffrey Vollmer Memorial Highway (Carver County)
- Richard J. Ames Memorial Highway (Dakota County)
- Kenneth E. Sellon and Eugene B. Schlotfeldt Memorial Highway (I-94 Sauk Centre to Alexandria)
- Ryane Clark Memorial Highway (Kandiyohi County)
- Specialist Noah Pierce Bridge (Eveleth)
- State Trooper Ray Krueger Memorial Highway (Cass County)
- Warrant Officer Dennis A. Groth Memorial Bridge (Rosemount)
Standalone Bills Signed into Law
“Hands free” cell phone use: Prohibits the use of cell phones while driving, unless used in “hands free” mode. Verbal or “one-touch” commands are allowed in order to activate or deactivate the function. Drivers are still allowed to use their phone for emergencies and for GPS or audio content as long as they do so in a “hands free” or “one-touch” mode and do not scroll or type. The State Patrol will also conduct a public education campaign about the new law.
MNLARS emergency funding: Appropriated $13.2 million for deficiency costs related to MNLARS development and required the chair of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology to conduct a review of MNLARS. The results of this review were the basis for the recommendation and movement to suspend further development of MNLARS and purchase new software.
Physical Therapists allowed to certify disability parking: Allows physical therapists to provide medical statements certifying that an individual qualifies for disability-related parking privileges.
LRT drivers subject to careless and reckless driving laws: Clarifies that careless and reckless driving statutes also apply to light rail train operators.
“Move over” law expanded to recycling and waste vehicles: Adds recycling and waste hauling vehicles to the “move over” law that requires driver to move over or slow down when certain authorized vehicles are on the shoulder of the road.
Officers allowed to issue citations based on reports from work zone flaggers: Allows police officers to issue citations to drivers within four hours based on reports from work zone flaggers, similar to allowances in current law for school bus stop arm violations.
Corrections Officer Joseph Gomm Memorial Highway: Washington County
Here are some of the measures that did not become law
Sustainable funding for the future: The funding mechanisms contained in the transportation bill that originally passed the House floor would have provided an a net increase of $642.1 million to the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund, which is dedicated to roads and bridges, as well as an additional $258.3 million for transit in the metro area and $22.7 for Greater Minnesota transit. Additionally, it would have created the first sustained funding source to fund road projects for small cities (population under 5,000) which have historically been excluded from our dedicated road and bridge funding formulas.
These funds would have come from the following sources and adjustments, none of which were accepted by the Senate during negotiations:
- Gas tax increase (one nickel each year for four years)
- Registration tax adjustments
- Metro area sales tax for transit (half cent)
- Motor Vehicle Sales Tax rate adjustment
- Motor Vehicle Lease Sales Tax distribution adjustments
- Return streams of revenue to the general fund that were taken from health care and education to fund transportation under Republican control in 2017-2018.
Driver’s license suspension reform: Would have prohibited the suspension of driver’s license when the only offense is failure to pay parking tickets or fines.
Driver’s licenses for all: This bill would have allowed all Minnesotans to obtain a driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. The measure was passed off the House floor both as a standalone bill and as part of the House transportation bill, but did not advance in the Senate. Public safety professionals support having all drivers on the road being trained, licensed drivers.
Electric vehicle infrastructure development funding: The House transportation bill provided greater investments in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure across the state. In contrast, the Senate wanted to increase fees on EVs and rejected all investments in EV infrastructure. Neither made it into the final bill.
Environment, climate change, and transportation: The House transportation bill would have expanded climate-related language to promote the sale of zero-emission vehicles and would have directed MnDOT to conduct a study about climate change and transportation. The Senate had no environmental provisions in their bill and did not accept the House language in conference committee.
Bicycle traffic regulations and planning assistance: There were a number of changes to bicycle traffic regulation provisions that are supported and requested by the Bicycle Alliance of MN. These would bring the statutes regarding bicycle traffic into alignment with the corresponding statutes regulating vehicle traffic, clarify certain provisions, codify existing practices, and strengthen safety measures. These passed the House floor 122-0 but did not move forward in the Senate. Additionally, there was a measure in the House transportation bill that would have required MnDOT to provide technical assistance to local governments when it comes to planning bikeways. That provision was not adopted in negotiations.
Minimum train crew size: Required trains operating within Minnesota to have a two-person crew. This passed the House as a standalone bill and was included in the House transportation bill, but wasn’t adopted by the Senate.
Automated Vehicle Testing: Established regulations for testing of automated vehicles.
As always, please contact me anytime with your input. I appreciate hearing from you! You can reach me at 651-296-4280 or rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn. You can also keep up with what’s happening at the Capitol by liking my legislative Facebook page. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Melissa Hortman