Tag: Senate DFL Caucus

Senate DFL Week in Review: March 7, 2019

WEEK NINE: March 7, 2019

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First pieces of legislation pass off Senate floor, advocates rally at the Capitol

The ninth week of the 2019 session wraps up this week, with the legislature having only passed two bills so far. MNLARS funding and a small bonding bill for clean-up of a toxic closed landfill in Andover and technical fixes to construction bonds for Highway 14 and Highway 23 were both passed and signed into law by Governor Walz.

After nine weeks, promises of early passage of a number of agreed upon bills have not transpired. Many of the bills legislative leaders said would pass early, including opioid relief, hands-free driving, full funding for election security, and initiatives to help protect seniors remain unfinished. Continue reading “Senate DFL Week in Review: March 7, 2019”

Senate DFL Week in Review: January 25, 2019

WEEK THREE: January 24, 2019

2019 Legislature starts hearing bills while a number of press conferences highlight legislation

State offices were closed and committees did not meet so legislators were able to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday on January 21. The week started off with a number of press conferences, including one on paid family and medical leave, reducing the cost of insulin, the opioid epidemic, and gun violence reduction.

Committee work kicked into full gear with the hands-free cellphone bills heard in the Senate and House, an update from the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Prevention working group, Driver Assist Technology in commercial trucks, and stricter penalties for sexual assault.

There were a number of groups who held “days” at the Capitol this week including the Woman’s March, AIDS Action Day, MCCL, National School Choice, and the Minnesota gun owners lobby day. Continue reading “Senate DFL Week in Review: January 25, 2019”

Senate DFL Week in Review: March 2, 2018

WEEK TWO:  March 2, 2018

The Minnesota Senate kicked off the second week of the 2018 session on a light note – former Olympic hockey player Senator David Tomassoni rose on the Senate Floor Monday to congratulate fellow Chisholm native John Shuster and his USA Curling teammates on winning the United States’ first-ever Olympic gold medal in curling. The entire Senate chamber rose to a standing ovation in response to Sen. Tomassoni’s speech.

On Wednesday, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released a new forecast that projects a $329 million budget surplus for the current biennium. Less than 10 years ago, Minnesota faced a $6 billion budget deficit. The remarkable fiscal turnaround is due in large part to a prudent decision made by Governor Dayton and DFL lawmakers to raise income taxes by 2% on the richest 2% of Minnesotans in 2013. Continue reading “Senate DFL Week in Review: March 2, 2018”