CAPITOL UPDATE: MORNING OF MARCH 10, 2020
Session is in full force as we enter the month of March. In the number of weeks since the beginning of session, the legislature has yet to pass any sort of meaningful legislation. As you will find in this Capitol Update, the DFL-led House has been quick to take up matters that will improve and impact the lives of many in Minnesota. Measures to combat gun violence, two of which I am the Chief Author of in the Senate, passed off of the House floor. The House also passed an insulin bill and a voter privacy bill. All three of these bills are awaiting Senate action. While I am encouraged by the early action of the House, there is much time left to find compromise and pass solutions that work for all Minnesotans.
Budget
In recent weeks, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released its February forecast, estimating a $1.513 billion budgetary balance. Although this balance is larger than the November 2019 forecast, it is my belief that much of this money will not available for ongoing spending and if spent, would be used for one-time purposes.
The outlook for Minnesota is stable, and this is encouraging. However, there is still a slowdown remaining in the forecast. We need to be cautious with this. The small budgetary improvement will continue into the next biennium and the structural balance is improved, but after accounting for inflation to maintain current service levels into the next biennium, there is little room for additional spending now. We need to be careful to balance any new spending with new revenue in order to protect our economy and the quality of life in Minnesota from any future instability
The loss of any revenue going forward will impact ongoing investments in areas such as health care, education, or transportation. This budget forecast is simply one-time money that needs to be distributed with caution, while still caring for Minnesotans who look to us to be fiscally responsible.
Gun Violence Prevention and Access to Firearms
Gun violence prevention has and continues to be my top priority this session. In the past few weeks, advocates for my two gun violence prevention bills rallied at the Capitol. I appreciate those who turned out to remind lawmakers that Minnesotan deserve a legislature that will take action, and do so swiftly, as we aim to mitigate the number of Minnesotans impacted by gun violence. Last week, the House passed two of my bills off of the floor. The first bill, HF 8, would expand background checks for firearms, and the second bill, HF 9, would allow for law enforcement to petition a court for an emergency risk protection order if a person poses a danger to themselves or others. These bills are now awaiting Senate action. I am skeptical that the current Senate majority will move forward on these two gun violence prevention measures, but I will continue to advocate for these bills that will make families, communities, and Minnesota safer.
Voter Privacy
The House passed HF 3068, which is a bill that would ensure voters in the March 3 presidential primary would have assurances that their party-participation data would not be used for political purposes. National party rules require the state to record which party’s nominating ballot a person requests in this primary. Secretary of State Steve Simon recommended changes outlined in this bill, which ensure party chairs may only use the information to validate participation with the national parties and may not share or use the information in any other manner. The bill also included an opt-out choice for voters who do not desire to have their information shared.
The current Senate majority has put forward a bill that only prohibits parties from sharing data, but unfortunately moved too slowly as the primary has come and gone. It is important to note that the new system only applies to the presidential primary, not the August 11 state primary election that will determine general election candidates for all other races. Lastly, it is important that we work together to keep voters’ data secure and private, so they can continue to feel comfortable voicing their opinions in our democracy.
Voter Suppression
The current Senate majority passed a controversial voter identification bill out of committee last week. The bill, which would require voters to possess and present either a driver’s license, Minnesota identification card, or voter identification card with an updated address and photo. In 2012, Minnesotans rejected the same voter ID restrictions by voting down a constitutional amendment. Considering Minnesota consistently scores the highest voter turnout rate among all states in the nation and the state has already rejected voter ID, I am confident that the House, Governor, others in the Senate, and many Minnesotans across the state will coalesce to block this bill from becoming law.
Senator Latz spoke to a bill in Judiciary and Public Safety Committee last week.
Legislature attends One Minnesota Conference
The Humphrey School of Public Affairs hosted the annual One Minnesota Legislative Policy Conference during the first week of session. The bicameral, bipartisan event focuses on improving the state’s legislative process. Topics this year included economic and demographic realities, redistricting, negotiating skills and tools, and more. The main focus of the conference encompassed improving the end of session process – improving transparency in the process and ensuring a timely end to session as vetoes and special sessions have become more common.
Second Chance Coalition at the Capitol
Two weeks ago, I spoke at the Minnesota Second Chance Coalition rally in the Capitol Rotunda. During the rally, I joined other advocates in support of Second Chance’s 2020 legislative agenda. The organization advocates for impactful, just, and responsible laws, policies, and practices to ensure that individuals who have been involved in the justice system have meaningful second chances. Proven initiatives that I support, but is not limited to, is legislation that would reduce the impact of fines and fees for low level and traffic violations, restoring the vote for felons, a robust Pardon Board reform bill, and the establishment of a Clemency Review Commission.
Senator Latz spoke during the Minnesota Second Chance Coalition rally last week.
Conversion Therapy Ban
LGBTQ activists rallied with Governor Tim Walz and DFL Senators at the State Capitol on Valentine’s Day, demanding an end to conversion “therapy” practices in the state. The program has been condemned and discredited by the American Psychological Association due to the irreparable damage this type of “therapy” can do to LGBTQ youth. Last year, a proposal to ban the practice was successfully passed by the DFL House. Unfortunately the Senate Majority voted against the ban when it was offered by Senate DFLers as an amendment to the 2019 Health and Human Services Omnibus bill. Every day, young LGBTQ Minnesotans who are subjected to the harmful and discredited practice of so-called conversion “therapy” are suffering the consequences. They cannot wait, and the Senate DFL will continue to fight for an end to this practice in Minnesota.
New Caucus Formation
Last week, I joined three other legislators in the newly created Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Caucus. Along with Senator Roger Chamberlain (R – Lino Lakes), Representative John Poston (R – Lake Shore), and Representative Jamie Long (DFL – Minneapolis), this new caucus will focus on bipartisan solutions for criminal justice issues in Minnesota. As I’ve experienced over the years, most of the reform that’s going to have the greatest impact will come from the state level. For example, the 2016 Drug Sentencing Reform Act, a Minnesota law that passed with bipartisan support, had the goal of reducing the number of nonviolent and lower level drug cases that end up in prison. The law made a number of changes, including adding a new gross misdeameanor category for some first-time offenders. This is one example of how both Democrats and Republicans have joined together in recent years to pass criminal justice reform that works for our state. The creation of the Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Caucus, which I am proud to co-chair, aims to continue finding bipartisan solutions to criminal justice issues in an organized fashion.
Senator Latz, middle, address the media earlier this week as the co-chair of the newly organized Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Caucus.
Taxes
As Minnesotans work to finish filing income taxes before the April 15 deadline, the Minnesota Department of Revenue is reminding taxpayers to verify whether they are eligible to file state taxes for free. Last year, almost 62% of Minnesotans qualified to file for free, but more than 780,000 of them did not take advantage. Taxpayers may be eligible to file electronically for free if they are below if their Adjusted Gross Income is $69,000 or less and/or meet other qualifications. A full list of qualifications can be found at https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/free-electronic-filing. Some Minnesotans may also be eligible for free tax preparation services, a full list of sites can be located at https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/free-tax-preparation-sites.
Senator Latz in the News
Fox 9: DWI Whiskey Plates
City Pages: Can Minnesota improve its ‘C+’ gun safety grade?
Kare 11: DWI Whiskey Plates
Thank you for your continued interest in the state legislature and our work serving Senate District 46. If you have any time-sensitive questions, comments, or concerns please call my office at 651-297-8065.
Regards,
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Ron Latz