Volume 6, Issue 15
April 23, 2021
Video from the Floor
A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
On Monday, the security presence at the Capitol heightened, awaiting the closing arguments on the trial of Derek Chauvin. On Monday and Tuesday, side streets around the Capitol were closed off, and National Guard members were standing beyond the fence and in the Capitol. I was at the Capitol when I learned that we were getting the verdict for Derek Chauvin’s trial. When I watched the trial verdict come in an hour later, I was relieved. We received justice for George Floyd, his family, and Black communities across America. But George should be alive right now, and we should not have had to mourn the loss of another Black man. I will continue to demand public safety reform in Minnesota. The fight is not over, we need to pass meaningful legislation this session. We do not need a “fact-finding” hearing, we need meaningful legislation to stop this from happening again.
This week has been long. We continue to review omnibus bills in the Finance Committee and hear omnibus bills on the floor. On Monday, I voted against deficiency public safety funding and on a divisive resolution creating a false choice to support our troops and law enforcement versus labor organizations. You can watch the video at the top of the email for my remarks.
Last week I stated “We are all mourning the loss of Daunte Wright, another Black man murdered in Minnesota.” I received feedback that I should not refer to the death as a murder until proven guilty. I completely agree in the presumption of innocence and that only our courts with a jury can make that determination. My intention was not to be divisive with the term I used, for that I extend my apologies if I have offended anyone. I do believe words matter and as a leader and an attorney my words can carry more weight. Indeed, we are all mourning the loss of Daunte Wright, another Black man killed in Minnesota.
Sincerely,
Melisa
Police Accountability
On Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that “the Justice Department has opened a civil investigation to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing”.
“Investigators will seek to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests; whether it engages in discriminatory conduct; and whether its treatment of those with behavioral health disabilities is unlawful. They will also review the department’s policies, training, supervision and use-of-force investigations, and whether its current systems of accountability are effective at ensuring that police officers act lawfully.”
The Minnesota business partnership reached out to legislators urging us to take action right now to pass police reform. Throughout the week we have referenced this letter, urging our colleagues to hold hearings for police reform legislation.
RentHelpMN launches to help those struggling to afford rent
COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance is now live for renters who owe back rent. Assistance is also available for past-due utilities. Renters looking to see if they qualify should examine this document.Additionally, there is a landlord checklist for any landlords who have renters behind on their rent.
Help for homeowners is also on the way; to sign up for updates regarding the availability of mortgage assistance please click here.
If you have questions, feel free to call 211. Trained operators are available to answer any of your questions.
E-12 Education Omnibus Bill
The Senate this week, debated for six hours on an E-12 education bill that will stall students’ academic progress, siphon $250 million from public education, and cause massive budget cuts in schools.
The bill provided no increase in the basic funding formula for the first time in decades. The basic formula is the funding driver that provides general education budget dollars to schools. The bill also contained a shaky voucher scheme that by 2025 would pull $250 million away from public education in Minnesota.
There were amendments attempted to make changes to the bill including deletion of the voucher program, providing additional funding to community preschool and removing discriminatory language, but the amendments were voted down by the majority.
While refusing to fully fund our public schools, the majority instead focused on ramming through discriminatory policy towards Minnesota’s transgender youth. Transgender kids want the opportunity to play sports for the same reason other kids do: to be a part of a team where they feel like they belong. A similar bill was recently vetoed by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and is widely seen by legal advocates as unconstitutional.
Changes to the teacher licensure system provided in the bill will mean that under-prepared people will be allowed to teach our children at a time when they need the most help getting caught up. The bill ignores Minnesota’s quickly changing society and includes discriminatory requirements for schools and excludes ethnic studies provisions. Increasing special education and English Language Learner funding gaps are completely dismissed in the bill and 4,000 preschool kids will lose their opportunities for early education because of the lack of funding.
The bill also provides no additional funding for the urgent need to attract and retain support staff to deal with the growing mental health crisis in schools.
The passed on a vote of 37-29 and now heads to Conference Committee with the House. (SF 960)
Environment and Natural Resources Omnibus Bill
The Senate passed this year’s Environment Omnibus Bill this week, after an extensive discussion on the floor and multiple attempts to make the bill better.
One amendment would have removed language that would rollback the Pollution Control Agency’s (PCA) authority to regulate vehicle emissions, including an unfunded mandate that would require the PCA to purchase electric vehicles from auto-dealers who are unable to sell them within 90 days. Another amendment would have appropriated funds for environmental justice initiatives that otherwise will be used to weaken water standards across the state.
The bill passed would establish an open season on wolves in the state, circumventing ongoing wolf management planning by the DNR and other experts. Additionally, the bill largely ignores the ongoing issue of PFAS contamination in landfills around the state, which poses a significant risk to drinking water for all our communities and is considered hazardous for human health, and it cuts funding to the agencies and programs that are responsible for ensuring all Minnesotans have access to our pristine parks, trails, and lakes.
Minnesotans across the state value protecting and enhancing our environment and ensuring no Minnesotan – regardless of race, income, or zip code – must endure the health risks associated with increased pollution, and this year’s Senate Environment Omnibus Bill simply does not reflect these shared values. The bill will head next to a conference committee with the House, where differences between the two versions will be worked out. (SF 959)
Housing Omnibus Budget and Policy Bill
The Omnibus Budget and Policy Bill passed the Minnesota Senate on Tuesday on a vote of 39-27. The bill provides no additional money for Housing. It also includes legislation that provides an offramp for the eviction moratorium, but more work is required to find consensus in balancing the needs of landlords and tenants. Additionally, the League of Minnesota Cities and others have concerns with provisions that would limit local control relative to aesthetics and some development plans.
In the coming weeks, the Senate will have a conference committee with the House to try and come to an agreement on differences between the two bodies’ approaches. (HF 1077)
Legacy Omnibus Bill
This year’s Legacy Finance Omnibus Bill passed off the Senate floor unanimously this week. The bill appropriates funding from the four ‘legacy’ funds that were established by the Legacy Constitutional Amendment approved by Minnesota voters in 2008. The four funds – the Outdoor Heritage Fund, the Clean Water Fund, the Parks and Trails Fund, and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund – were established to provide ongoing support to projects across the state that protect and enhance water quality, provide access to the arts, preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage, and maintain our parks and trails.
Included in the bill are some of the recommendations for projects from the Clean Water Council and all of the recommendations for projects from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. It maintains a spending ratio of 40:40:20 for parks and trails, which distributes spending from the Parks and Trails Fund at 40% to the DNR for state parks and trails, 40% to the Metropolitan Council for metro parks and trails, and 20% to Greater Minnesota regional parks and trails. Additionally, 47% of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund appropriations will be allocated to the Minnesota State Arts Board for grants and programs, and $4 million will be allocated to the Humanities Center for a Community Identity and Heritage Grant program.
It’s not often a bill as large as the Legacy Omnibus bill passes with unanimous support, which speaks to the bipartisan nature of the work that went into assembling the bill. The legislation will head next to a conference committee with the House to work out differences between the two, before it comes back to the Senate for final approval. (SF 971)
Transportation Omnibus Bill
The Senate passed the Transportation Omnibus Budget Bill this week, but ignored the need for a comprehensive funding package, resources for expanding transit connectivity, law enforcement reform, or sustainability initiatives.
Our transportation infrastructure will require significant additional investments in the coming decades. Minnesota will have at least 700,000 new residents in the next 30 years, while over 50% of our roads are over 50 years old. Minnesota’s state highways and bridges face a $6 billion funding gap over the next 10 years, and estimates suggest a $18 billion gap just to maintain current performance of our entire transportation system over the next 20 years.
Siphoning general fund resources away from other state needs that don’t have dedicated revenue streams is irresponsible budgeting. Unlike other budget areas, transportation has constitutionally dedicated funding streams (that aren’t keeping up) and that should be reformed instead of depending on unsustainable shifts.
Significant improvements to project selection policies and procedures through various programs at MnDOT have been made to make transportation project selection more straightforward, transparent, and effective. That’s why the slew of earmarks in this bill are so confounding. 29 earmarked projects–some not even shovel ready–will tie up funding that could go to other projects that have been determined by MnDOT to be ready.
This proposal ignores the need for statewide transit and essentially zeros out funding for Metro Transit, which will increase traffic congestion, decrease air quality, and harm efforts to make the transportation sector more sustainable. Our roads cannot sustain the increase of at least 700,000 residents in the next 30 years through single-use vehicles alone. This bill will require the Met Council to spend down its reserves and fails to provide a sustainable, ongoing source of operating revenue for Metro Transit.
Attempts to pass transportation-related law enforcement reform and reduce deadly police encounters by prohibiting law enforcement from pulling over drivers simply for expired tabs or objects hanging from their rear-view mirror, were rejected. Likewise, efforts to pass meaningful environmental justice initiatives to reduce emissions in areas with poor air quality, failed to pass as amendments.
I committed to advocating for sensible transportation funding, law enforcement reform, and sustainable transportation solutions for all Minnesotans and hope the Conference Committee process will yield legislation that can be widely supported. (HF 1684)
Walter Mondale
Rest in peace Vice President Mondale. You will be remembered as an honorable statesman, a mentor and champion for equality for all. Thank you for your counsel during my first campaign. You were right, we need to reach people, talk to them and listen. Only then can we truly have a representative democracy.
Bloomington Jefferson hockey coach killed
I want to give my condolences to the family and friends of Mike Ryan, the Bloomington Jefferson girls high school hockey coach who died last weekend. Mike coached in the Bloomington hockey programs for more than 20 years and will be missed.