Tag: SD46

CAPITOL UPDATE MARCH 21, 2019

Friday, March 15 marked the halfway point of the 2019 session and the end of first deadline for bills to pass through committee. As of first committee deadline day, over 2,500 bills have been introduced in the Senate and many will not meet the first deadline. The first deadline requires policy bills to have had their first hearing in the committee of origin unless the companion bill in the House has been heard. However, finance, tax, and capital investment bills do not have to meet this deadline.

Unfortunately, the majority-controlled Senate has yet to hear both of the gun violence prevention measures that I introduced with my Senate colleagues in the first weeks of session. It’s been more than a year and a half and the Senate Judiciary committee has yet to give these bills a public hearing. However, because the House has heard both the criminal background check expansion bill and the extreme risk protection orders bill, the bill has met first deadline qualifications and the measures live on.

Below you can click on a mid-session Capitol video update. I highlight a few items in the video, but there of course remains much to do. Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: March 22, 2019”

CAPITOL UPDATE MARCH 1, 2019

Senator Ron Latz testified in support of a bill this past week.

Net Neutrality: As many of you may know, I am once again pursuing a net neutrality bill in the Senate. Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) is carrying the measure through the other legislative body. By prohibiting internet service providers from blocking or slowing internet traffic based on its content, Minnesotans would not be charged more based on the content they wish to access. If net neutrality regulations aren’t put in place, small businesses would not be able to fairly compete with larger companies. Providers could slow down access to websites to the benefit of large corporations that can afford to pay the high costs, leaving upstart businesses reeling to pay high costs for the particular kind of content they would need to access in order to be successful. The bill is currently moving its way through the House, but may face obstacles to receive a hearing in the Senate. Nonetheless, I remain committed in pushing forward this crucial consumer protection initiative. Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz Update: March 1, 2019”

 

Responding to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Comments

As many of you may know, Rep. Ilhan Omar recently tweeted anti-Semitic tropes. Please read my statement below and click the number of links to the media coverage if you’d like to know more.

Unfortunately, Rep. Ilhan Omar has once again made clearly anti-Semitic public statements. While I was prepared to give her an opportunity to assuage my doubts, instead she has reinforced them. She cannot constantly make statements that suggest she was “ignorant” of the anti-Semitic implications of what she says or publishes, as she has been educated by myself and others on numerous occasions. I condemn her recent tweets in the strongest terms and call upon her to refrain from making future such comments. In the long term, maybe Rep. Omar should take the time to educate herself on the history of world anti-Semitism and its horrifying consequences rather than promoting. Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: February 14, 2019”

CAPITOL UPDATE FEBRUARY 4

It’s been more than four weeks and the 2019 legislative session is in full swing. After last year’s session ended unceremoniously, we’ve hit the ground running by renewing efforts to pass a number of bills leftover from 2018. Additionally, I’ve supplemented those bill re-introductions with new agenda items that have arisen since last May. As always, it’s difficult to forecast the many issues that may surface in the coming months and it must be the Legislature’s goal to address those issues head-on. Last year the Legislature was tasked with redefining the state’s tax structure after the federal government overhauled its system of taxation. Although it is unlikely the federal government will assign our state such an alike responsibility this session, it must remain lawmakers’ top priority to find reasonable solutions to those issues as the country’s only state with a divided legislature.

You can watch my first video update of the session below. If you have any questions, please call my office at 651-297-8065 or, if you’re on the Capitol complex, stop by room 2215 in the Minnesota Senate Building. Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: February 4, 2019”

2019 PRE-SESSION CAPITOL UPDATE

Dear Neighbors,

I am honored to continue to serve Senate District 46 for the 91st Session of the Minnesota Legislature. As we turn the calendar year and begin 2019, there remains a lot to accomplish this Spring. Since session ended last May, St. Paul has changed. The 2018 election revised the political dynamic in the House of Representatives and brought in Congressman Tim Walz as the state’s newest governor. I am pleased to begin working with the Walz administration and the House as they both appear eager to bring change for the better and a refreshing outlook to Minnesota’s biggest issues.

It was a privilege to work alongside Governor Mark Dayton for eight years. Governor Dayton left behind a legacy that positively impacted many Minnesotans and will continue to do so for years to come. His leadership brought many of Minnesota’s families all-day kindergarten and prekindergarten options. When Governor Dayton began in 2011, Minnesota was facing a state budget deficit of more than $6 billion. Now, 8 years later, Governor Walz will take the oath of office with a state budget projection nearing a $1.54 billion surplus. Although Governor Dayton is leaving the state in solid condition, we must be committed to balancing government spending and tax levels. Minnesota’s finances must be protected from future instability as the state expects a slowdown in economic and state revenue growth.

Continue reading “Sen. Run Latz (SD46) Update: January 11, 2019”

Post Town Hall Message

At our Town Hall meeting on June 5, there were comments made inquiring about my position to support the increase of existing criminal penalties for persons protesting on limited-access freeways, the airport, and transit lines. I appreciate those who raised the issue and commented both in support of and opposition of my position on the bill. A request was made for me to share my rationale with a broader audience.

Because I knew that my vote on this issue would be of interest, I made a point of explaining it on the Senate floor during the discussion preceding the vote. The following link to my floor remarks should provide more detail on my decision to support the bill. That may be found here. Additionally, feel free to watch the Town Hall broadcast on our St. Louis Park cable station, which may be found here. If you would like to only specifically watch our Town Hall discussion on the protest bill, please click here . Continue reading “Sen. Ron Latz (SD46) Update: June 8, 2018”