Volume 5, Issue 11 March 22, 2019
Weekly Review Video
A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
This week we passed 2 bipartisan bills on the floor, which provided much needed relief to both disaster funds and deputy registrars. SF 307 makes a one-time $10 million appropriation from the general fund to the disaster assistance contingency account. SF 621 appropriates $13 million for grants to reimburse private deputy registrars for costs incurred due to lost business productivity from the rollout of MNLARS.
Yesterday in Health and Human Services, we had a hearing for SF 1070, a bipartisan bill which would modify the existing medical cannabis program in Minnesota. The bill seeks to expand access to the program by including telemedicine, allowing use in schools for students who need it, and permitting medical cannabis manufacturers to subtract certain business expenses that are not allowed for federal income tax purposes. I introduced 3 amendments in committee. The A-2 amendment passed which simply adds to the qualifying medical conditions the conditions that have been approved of by the commissioner and are currently considered a qualifying medical condition under the program. This updates the statute to include these conditions.
I withdrew the other two amendments. The first would allow for the use of vaping raw cannabis as a delivery method. Florida and Pennsylvania are allowing it as of recently because it can reduce costs up to 50% for patients. The cost of products in the program have been a noted concern for patients in Minnesota. The other amendment modifies the qualifying conditions by expanding the conditions to include cancer, terminal illness chronic or intractable pain, any condition for which an opiate would otherwise be prescribed. The bill was passed without recommendation to the E-12 Finance and Policy Committee.
Thanks to everyone who took a moment to stop by my office this week. I always look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Melisa
Deputy Registrar Relief Passes
Legislation to provide deputy registrars grants to reimburse them for costs incurred due to the problematic rollout of MNLARS passed off the Senate floor this week on a 60-6 vote. Deputy registrars, in addition to public Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) offices, process driver’s licenses, titles, and tabs. MNLARS is the software system rolled out in 2017 that ended up creating some problems for deputy registrars.
One significant issue with the bill is that it would hold state taxpayers liable if someone sues a deputy registrar due to issues with MNLARS. The state would be required to pay any fines based on a court judgement, attorney fees of deputy registrars, and potentially the attorney fees of the plaintiff. This language is problematic. The House does not include this provision, and the differences will need to be worked out in conference committee. (SF 621)
Hands Free in the House, Senate to Follow Suit
A bill passed by the House this week addresses distracted driving in the state. According to the Department of Public Safety, distracted driving was a contributing factor in one in five crashes between the years of 2013-2017. State law bans text messaging, emailing, and using a web browser with a handheld device while operating a motor vehicle as a part of traffic. With the change, all handheld device usage while driving would be prohibited including phone calls, accessing apps, or streaming audio or video content.
The first bill would expand the prohibited use of cellphones while operating a motor vehicle. If this bill becomes law drivers will be prohibited from initiating handheld cellphone usage, but the use of a cellphone in hands-free mode when the vehicle is legally pulled over on the side or the road and not obstructing traffic would be allowed. Additional exceptions include the ability to use audio-based content or GPS and other navigational systems.
The second bipartisan bill in the Senate increases texting while driving penalties from a petty misdemeanor to a misdemeanor for a third or subsequent offense. This legislation increases the mandatory fine for a first offense from $50 to $150, from $275 to $300 for the second offense, and from $275 to $500 for a third or subsequent offense if the three offenses are within ten years of each other. It also provides that a third or subsequent offense within ten years would require a court appearance resulting in a 30-day driver’s license suspension.
Additionally, the bill amends the criminal vehicular operation crimes to include causing harm as a result of negligence from using a cell phone while driving, requires a section on distracting driving in each edition of the driver’s manual, and requires that driver’s education programs include instruction on distracted driving beginning in 2020. After moving through the appropriate Senate committees, these bills are likely to be taken up on the floor (SF 91 , SF 75).
Tax Credit for Affordable Housing
Governor Dayton convened a Housing Task Force last year to identify methods to improve affordable housing options across the state. The housing industry is facing a multitude of challenges; in many areas of the state, the cost to build new construction is higher than what area residents can reasonably afford, leading to a glut of housing options.
The Senate Tax Committee considered a bill this week that promotes one of the ideas recommended by last year’s task force. The Minnesota Housing Tax Credit Contribution Fund would be established to provide grants or loans to developers committed to building multifamily and single-family developments for persons and families of low and moderate income. The fund would be supported by contributions, and taxpayers or businesses contributing to the fund would be eligible for a state-paid tax credit. The amount of credits available each year would be capped at $25 million and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The idea is modeled after a North Dakota program that has reported success in spurring private investment in this area. (SF 404)
Senate Continues Efforts to Hold the Pharmaceutical Industry Accountable
Legislation to combat the opioid epidemic has been slowly but surely moving through the committee process. It was heard in its fifth committee stop this week. The legislation raises annual registration fees on pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors, charging up to $250,000 to manufacturers responsible for selling the highest quantities of opiates in Minnesota. The goal of this effort is to raise $20 million each year to fund treatment and prevention programs, amounting to just a sliver of the skyrocketing profits made by manufacturers of opiates each year.
The bill also includes funding to update the prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to make it easier for doctors to use, requires prescribers to check the PDMP before prescribing controlled substances like opiates, and limits the quantity of opiates prescribed for acute pain, like pain after an injury or surgery, to a 7-day supply for adults and a 5-day supply for children. Doctors can still write prescriptions for more than the limit if they believe it is necessary and prescriptions are not limited for patients experiencing chronic pain.
In a significant bipartisan effort last year, the Senate voted 60-6 to pass similar legislation. The Republican-led House refused to take up the bill at that time, leaving Minnesotans to wait another year for desperately needed funding to combat the epidemic. With new DFL leadership in the House, the legislation has new life this year. The House passed their version of the bill off the floor this week on a 94-34 vote, and DFLers are hopeful the Senate version is not too far behind. (SF 751)
Ethnic Minority and Immigrant Farmer Outreach
A proposal heard this week would appropriate $150,000 per year from the general fund to the commissioner of agriculture to hire a full-time emerging farmer outreach coordinator. The coordinator will work to connect ethnic minorities and immigrant farmers to agriculture opportunities and programs.
Many new Minnesotans would like to farm, but the process to purchase land and machinery can be quite expensive. The purpose of this appropriation is to foster growth in farming for ethnic minorities and immigrant farmers. (SF 2326)