Volume 5, Issue 12 March 29, 2019
Weekly Review Video
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A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
It was a busy week at the Capitol. The Senate passed the hands-free cellphone legislation off the floor which requires drivers to use their cellphones in a ‘hands-free’ mode, only allowing voice-activated commands or other actions that need one-touch activation. The bill would enact enforcement and penalties for using a cellphone outside of hands-free mode. The differences between the House and Senate bills will be worked out conference committee, but this initiative is one step closer to becoming law.
The Snow Days conference committee also closed up this week, and the bill passed off the floor with strong bipartisan support and will likely be signed into law by Gov. Walz. This bill would aid Minnesota schools struggling with snow days by shortening their academic calendar without penalty amid the extraordinary winter of class cancellations. It will also ensure hourly school workers are compensated for their work.
Last Friday, Gov. Tim Walz released his revised budget proposal. The DFL House and Republican Senate also released their budget recommendations this week. The three budgets provide an opportunity to highlight the difference in values in divided government.
Looking forward to more busy days at the Capitol. As always, feel free to stop by or contact me with your questions and concerns!
Sincerely,
Melisa
Addressing the student debt crisis: transparency and justice for all
I held a press conference this week for legislation I chief authored that would bring accountability and transparency to the student loan industry in Minnesota. State educators and advocates gathered at the Capitol to share their personal stories of student debt, including navigating misinformation and intentionally complex processes perpetuated by student loan servicing corporations. These testimonies of economic hardship and hindered opportunities highlighted the pressing need for laws that protect Minnesota borrowers.
According to the Student Borrower Protection Center, Minnesota ranks fifth in the nation for student debt, with an outstanding debt of $27.1 billion dollars and $2.5 billion in delinquent debt. Between the years of 2012-2019, Minnesota seniors with education debt increased by 46%. Perhaps the largest barrier students face in paying back their loans (or receiving forgiveness) is systemic misinformation being spread by the multi-million-dollar student loan servicers who act as intermediaries between borrowers and lenders. Whether misallocating payments to accrue massive interest, steering borrowers into forbearance instead of income-driven plans, or providing distorted information on repayment options, student loan servicers have misled and exploited thousands of Minnesotans for their own private gains. Leading Minnesotans to increased economic danger and barring them from achieving their dreams is unacceptable behavior and must be addressed at the state level.
The new legislation will provide critical support to the 775,600 Minnesota borrowers, who are currently up against student loan corporations. Tackling the issue from a number of angles, the bill establishes a student loan advocate within the state to best represent the interests of borrowers when receiving, reviewing, and working to resolve complications; invests in widespread information and comprehensive education initiatives on student loans (including options on repayment and loan forgiveness programs); holds student loan servicers accountable for meeting standards for information-sharing, customer service, and representing the best interests of borrowers in financial transition; and requires student loan servicers to obtain a license to operate in the State of Minnesota. By creating systems of accountability, increasing transparency, and expanding regulation of student loan services, the state will expand access and opportunity for Minnesotans as well. (SF 1484)
Robotics grants bill heard
1 of the 3 bills introduced on STEM Advocacy Day was heard in committee this week. The bill I authored would appropriate $100,000 for up to five awards of no more than $20,000 to public entities or private nonprofit organizations for the creation of competitive robotics hubs through FIRST in Upper Midwest. The money can be used for tools, equipment, and physical space for robotics teams. Half of the appropriation must be made available to locations outside the seven-county metropolitan area.
FIRST in Upper Midwest, Inc (FUM) is a nonprofit organization that works to promote FIRST robotics competition in the area. They focus on developing offseason events and training to improve team sustainability and competitiveness. (SF 1740)
Funding for local transit to continue
A bill was heard in the Senate Transportation Committee this week that removes the sunset of the diversion of motor vehicle sales tax revenue to replacement service providers, who provide private bus routes, dial-a-ride services, and express routes to suburban cities not within the Met Council’s service area.
For FY18 and FY19, at least 0.35% of the total Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (MVST) revenue was deposited based on a regional allocation to replacement service municipalities. It essentially allows suburban cities to contract with private transit providers to serve residents with MVST funds. This bill would continue this carveout indefinitely. At least 40% of MVST is constitutionally dedicated to public transit assistance. (SF 2085)
Hands-free bill passes Senate
The Senate passed its own version of a bill to prohibit drivers from talking on their cell phone while driving with the exception of any hands-free mode. The bill is in response to strong evidence that cell phone use while driving can be distracting and cause accidents. The National Safety Council estimates that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes every year or 64% of all road accidents. In the past few years, there have been an average of 59 deaths and 223 serious injuries each year on Minnesota roads due to distracted driving. Auto premiums in the past three years are up 15%, partially attributable to claims due to distracted driving.
According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, 16 states prohibit drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. All are primary enforcement laws – an officer may cite a driver for using a handheld cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place. In 13 of 16 states, there have been significant reductions in fatalities (a 16% reduction on average).
Since the bill passed by the Senate is not identical to the House version, a conference committee will convene to iron out the differences before it is presented to both bodies again for an up or down vote. (HF 50)
Changes to state medical cannabis program blaze through committee
Legislation that addresses certain barriers to the state’s medical cannabis program was heard late last week. Since registry began in 2015, over 7,000 Minnesotans have dropped their enrollment in the program due to high prices and other restrictions. According to the medical cannabis program update completed in January 2019, fewer than 11,000 of nearly 15,400 registered patients had made a purchase from a state-authorized manufacturer between the months of July 2018 and December 2018.
Aiming to increase access for Minnesota patients, the bill doubles the number of authorized distribution centers in the state (from four to eight), permits health care practitioners to re-certify patients for medical cannabis remotely via telemedicine, and authorizes the possession of medical cannabis in schools. The legislation does not require school staff to administer or store cannabis on school grounds but, rather, ensures that schools may not restrict student patient access/use of medical cannabis. This restriction under current law has served as a barrier for families and student patients who must be taken out of class and off school grounds during the day to take their medicine. The bill leaves flexibility for schools to adopt their own policies for reasonable parameters of use.
An amendment to the bill was adopted that adds new provisions regarding the inclusion of industrial hemp in the medical cannabis program. With this amendment, a medical cannabis manufacturer may obtain hemp from growers who are licensed with the state commissioner of agriculture. Industrial hemp can be processed into certain kinds of medical cannabis. Advocates argue that the inclusion of hemp products to the medical cannabis program could lead to cheaper production and be of economic benefit to the state’s growers.
Though the legislation does address some of the barriers to care, it is still criticized by some medical cannabis supporters for not doing enough to increase affordability. (SF 1070)
Slow poke bill passes another committee
A bill to prohibit vehicles from driving in the left-most lane of traffic passed the Judiciary Committee this week. It would require drivers to move to the right if there is a vehicle immediately behind the first vehicle. Exceptions to this requirement would include traffic congestion, inclement weather, or a vehicle is preparing to turn left. Drivers would be fined no less than $100 for violating this new law, and the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety is required to conduct a public awareness campaign to increase knowledge of this new statute to keep to the right. (SF 620)
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