Tag: 2019 Minnesota legislative session

Tax increases on wealthiest, budget reserves key pieces of Walz’s budget proposal

The first pawn in a months-long budgetary game of chess has been played.

Calling it the “Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget,” Gov. Tim Walz unveiled his $52.4 billion 2022-23 budget proposal Tuesday, that includes tax increases on the wealthiest Minnesotans and big corporations, further assistance for struggling smaller businesses, help for students falling behind and dipping into the state’s budget reserve.

“We know that when workers are supported, when children are supported, when quality of life is supported, it creates an economic environment where things thrive,” Walz said. “We’re going to ask those that are most fortunate and those corporations that have profited during this time to pay a fair share to make sure we can continue to provide the services we need. Continue reading.

Statement from Majority Leader Ryan Winkler on Opioid Bill Taking Effect

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – A new law to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable and create a comprehensive response to the opioid epidemic takes effect today. House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statement:

“Thanks to the bravery of families impacted by the opioid crisis who spoke up and demanded a solution, today we’re holding big pharma accountable for the epidemic they created and profit from. This is a strong law that will protect Minnesotans, save lives, and tackle this crisis. Our next fight is on insulin. We need the same approach: forcing pharmaceutical companies to pay for the harm they are causing. Affordable prescription drugs will not come without a fight.”

Gov. Walz Signs into law Rep. Jim Davnie’s bill to allow Minnesota homeowners to denounce racial covenants on home titles

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz today signed into law legislation to enable Minnesota homeowners an opportunity to formally respond to racially restrictive covenants on their home titles. Racial covenants are clauses in housing titles that were used by real estate developers in the 20th century to discriminate against and prevent people of color from buying, owning, or even residing in certain property.

In response to the racially restrictive covenants that many in South Minneapolis inherited on their home titles, Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis) sponsored legislation this year to create a streamlined process for homeowners to respond to racial restrictions in their housing contracts. Although restrictive covenants are already prohibited and have been ruled as unconstitutional, they remain on residential titles and help explain the patterns to housing segregation in Minnesota.

“This is a historic day for Minnesotans,” Rep. Davnie remarked. “While the covenants no longer have any force of law, they still are a moral injury to the current homeowner. This also provides a way for our community to have a conversation about the history of racial discrimination in housing in Minnesota and how it impacts our families and communities today.”Rep. Davnie’s legislation will allow residents to fill out a form related to the title of the property to clarify the restrictive covenant is ineffective, and legally discharged it from the property.

 

The law goes into effect August 1, 2019, making Minnesota the third state after California and Washington to enact such a law.

 

You can learn more about Minneapolis’s housing history from the Mapping Prejudice Project, which is aimed at compiling research related to Jim Crow laws in northern cities.

Gov. Walz signs into law elder care protections championed by House DFLers

BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA – Today at the Minnesota World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference in Brooklyn Center, Governor Tim Walz today held a bill signing ceremony for a package of senior and vulnerable adult care reforms approved during the recently-concluded legislative session.

“Our consensus reforms to address elder abuse will give older and vulnerable Minnesotans in assisted living facilities – along with their family members – needed peace of mind,” said Rep. Jen Schultz (DFL – Duluth), the chief author of the legislation in the House. “This result was only possible with Minnesotans impacted by these horrific behaviors coming forward to share their stories. Their advocacy was invaluable and I thank them, along with consumer advocates, agency staff, and of course Governor Walz and my legislative colleagues who supported the legislation, for allowing these safeguards to become law.”

The bill, HF 90, will create a licensure framework for assisted living facilities, the establishment of a bill of rights for residents of assisted living facilities, stronger consumer protection measures, uniform standards for facilities providing dementia cares services, and ensuring the ability for a resident to have a camera in their living space. Continue reading “Gov. Walz signs into law elder care protections championed by House DFLers”

Emergency insulin proposal doesn’t survive special session, will be priority in 2020

ST. PAUL — A proposal to require insulin manufacturers to fund a program that offers emergency access to uninsured diabetics or those who can’t afford their medication will have to wait until 2020, lawmakers decided in the early hours of Saturday, May 25.

In a special legislative session, the Minnesota Senate and then the House of Representatives voted down proposals that would offer stopgap insulin supplies for Minnesotans who couldn’t get them otherwise.

The proposals came up as lawmakers weighed the biggest, most complex budget bill that funds health and human service programs, mostly for poor and disabled Minnesotans. The legislation takes up about 40% of the state’s $48 billion, two-year budget.

Sen. Melissa Wiklund, D-Bloomington, narrowly failed in her attempt to get senators to adopt an amendment to help diabetics who cannot afford insulin. Her proposal called for charging insulin makers a fee.

View the complete May 25 article by Dana Ferguson on The Duluth News Tribune website here.

Minnesota Legislature passes $48B budget in special session

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Legislature ended its special session Saturday after approving a $48 billion budget to fund state government for the next two years.

The House and Senate pulled an all-nighter to pass their budget bills and adjourned around 7 a.m., finishing the one-day gathering close to the deadline set by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders. The House Republican minority did not carry out its threat use procedural roadblocks to drag out the proceedings until Sunday.

Democrats proclaimed the special session and the nearly five-month regular session that preceded it a success, given the difficulties of resolving fundamental differences on taxes, spending and policy between the Democratic-controlled House and the Senate’s Republican majority. The compromise budget will spend about 6% more than the current budget, which expires at the end of June.

View the complete May 25 article by Steve Karnowski on the Associated Press website here.

Secretary of State Steve Simon on the End of the Legislative Session

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Secretary of State Steve Simon issued the following statement regarding the end of the special legislative session:

“The next statewide election begins in 238 days,” said Secretary of State Simon. “As of today, the legislature has agreed to authorize the full $6.6 million in HAVA funding to my office so that we can further secure Minnesota’s elections. We have been preparing for this day for more than a year and I am grateful to the legislative leaders who saw the wisdom in getting this done before our next statewide elections, particularly the bipartisan leadership in the House from Representatives Nelson, Dehn, O’Driscoll, and Nash. Thank you.

“The legislature also agreed to take important steps to protect voter privacy for the 2020 Presidential Nominating Primary contest. Thanks to the leadership of Representative Halverson, presidential primary voters no longer have to worry about their party choice being made available to the voting public. Though my preference has always been to keep ballot choice private, compromise on this issue – to make data available only to the major political parties – is largely consistent with what would have been available under the traditional caucus system. Continue reading “Secretary of State Steve Simon on the End of the Legislative Session”

Minnesota House Approves Legacy Amendment Investments

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved legislation that invests $630 million of Legacy Amendment funds. The legislation funds the outdoors and the arts across Minnesota and passed with bipartisan support on a 103-23 vote.

“Minnesotans care about our state and cherish the things that make it such a special place to live,” said Rep. Leon Lillie (DFL – North St. Paul), Chair of the House Legacy Finance Division. “The Legacy Amendment has supported thousands of initiatives in communities across the state since it was adopted a decade ago with overwhelming support from voters. This legislation will make Minnesota an even better place to live and preserve and enhance our great outdoors and rich heritage for future generations.”

Minnesotans voted in favor of adopting the Legacy Amendment in 2008. This constitutional amendment increased sales taxes by three-eighths of one percent for 25 years and divided the revenue between four funds. The Outdoor Heritage Fund and Clean Water Fund each receive 33 percent of the revenue. The Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and Parks and Trails Fund receive 19.75 percent and 14.25 percent, respectively.

The legislation includes Outdoor Heritage Fund investments of $127.69 million that would protect and enhance 10,020 acres of wetlands, 108,384 acres of prairies, 14,598 acres of forest, and 8,216 acres of aquatic habitat. It also supports efforts to restore habitat for fish, game, and wildlife. This section of the bill is largely identical to recommendations provided by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. Continue reading “Minnesota House Approves Legacy Amendment Investments”

Minnesota House Approves New Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved a new Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing budget on a vote of 114-14. This legislation establishes a budget for the Department of Agriculture, the Board of Animal Health, the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), the Housing Finance Agency, and broadband development.

“This is a budget that benefits all the varied aspects of agriculture and food production. I want to thank my fellow conferees from the House and Senate, as well as the members of our division in the House, for the bipartisan work we did to invest in the future of our farmers,” said Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin), Chair of the Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division. “We’re funding new and emerging innovations that will benefit our agriculture and food economies, while also addressing our struggling farm communities. The investments in this budget protect agriculture and food production, deliver products to more people, and place Minnesota at the forefront of the industry.”

The lack of accessible mental health care and assistance for our rural communities has compounded the issues many of our farmers are currently facing. This budget includes a multi-pronged solution by investing in rural mental health, providing an additional staffer for the Minnesota Farm Advocates program, and funding mental health programming at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Continue reading “Minnesota House Approves New Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing”

Statement from Speaker Hortman on special session

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Tonight, Governor Walz called for a special session to be convened at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 24, 2019.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman released the following statement:

“We have a bipartisan agreement to pass a balanced state budget that provides strong funding for education and secures health care for more than one million Minnesotans. We look forward to completing this work to benefit Minnesotans with Republicans and Governor Walz.”