Good morning, and welcome to Wednesday.
Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer is defending the drawn out process that finally ended last week with the election of Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker. MPR’s Mark Zdechlik reports at a Republican leadership news conference in Washington Tuesday, Emmer, the House Majority Whip, said the process of electing a speaker was more about team building than in-fighting. "What you saw was democracy at work,” Emmer said. “What you saw were people representing their districts coming to Washington DC sitting down with each other in spite of differences, in spite of different perspectives, and being able to ultimately hammer out an agreement where they can work together." It took 15 ballots for McCarty to win the gavel, the first time in a century that the election of a speaker took multiple ballots. Many Democrats, including Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have been sharply critical of the time it took Republicans to decide on a leader. Smith called it an embarrassment. Klobuchar said the battle delayed the work of the House.
The bill that ensures Minnesotans access to abortion and other reproductive services is moving through legislative committees with no Republican support.MPR’s Brian Bakst has more: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 6-3 to push the bill forward. It got through a second House committee, Judiciary Finance and Civil Law, also on a party-line vote with DFLers in favor and Republicans opposed. “The real point of this bill is to make government neutral in these decisions,” said the lead sponsor, DFL Sen. Jen McEwen of Duluth. “To make sure that Minnesotans are trusted to make individual decisions with their health care providers.” Sen. Paul Utke, R-Park Rapids, warned it would “open the floodgates” for abortion. He and other Republicans on the Senate committee tried unsuccessfully to add restrictions into the bill. “Any time we put something in statute, now we’ve set the bar. Whether that’s the high bar or the low bar, people will refer to ‘This is the law,’” Utke said. “It takes out of the equation the doctor, the patient and everybody else involved.” Aside from defining decisions around abortion, contraception and fertility services as fundamental rights, the bill would also bar local governments from enacting their own regulations. Democratic majorities in the House and Senate intend to pass the bill soon, with another House committee hearing set for Thursday. DFL Gov. Tim Walz has pledged to sign it.
Later today the House Commerce Committee will hold a first hearing on this year’s version of the legislation legalizing marijuana. The comprehensive plan is two major endeavors rolled into one: It would decriminalize possession and use of marijuana with some exceptions and start a process of expunging the records of people previously charged with lower-level marijuana crimes. Brian has the answers to some of the questions you may have about the plan.
Tying school funding to inflation, paying for all students to eat at school, more funding for mental health programs and fully funding special education are just some of the education proposals surfacing at the Capitol.MPR’s Elizabeth Shockman has a look at what key lawmakers are saying: Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, has already introduced a bill that would offer schools one-time relief on school meal and transportation costs as well as paying down some under-funded English learner and special education costs. “It is acknowledgement and a nod to the fact that our schools for very, very long — even before COVID — were operating by the skin of their teeth, and that’s not the way it should be,” Kunesh said. “This is to give them some relief for a minute and then we’ll continue the work and looking towards the future and how we’re going to fund our schools in a much better way.”
And the House transportation committee approved a bill that would allow unauthorized immigrants to get drivers licenses. Some Republicans raised concerns that people could use the licenses to illegally register to vote. But as MPR’s Dana Ferguson reports, others said road safety and other concerns outweigh those worries. Laura Bordelon, with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, told the panel that businesses around the state are struggling to find workers. And she said letting people obtain licenses, regardless of their immigration status, could help fill open positions. "Minnesota employers rely on immigrant workers to serve their customers and produce the goods and services we use and enjoy,” Bordelon said. “In many instances, the place of work may be some distance away from home. To get back and forth safely workers should complete driver's training and licensing requirements including securing insurance. This not only benefits workers and their employers but other Minnesota drivers." DFLers are making the bill a priority this session.
Minnesota revenue came in $217 million above expectations in November and December. That’s more than 4 percent better than forecast and adds to the surplus projected just last month to be $17.6 billion. Minnesota Management and Budget also says that the U.S. economic outlook has improved in the near term, which might mean an even bigger surplus when the new forecast is released next month. MMB said income tax receipts were below the forecast for the period, receipts from corporate and other taxes were higher than forecast, and sales tax receipts nearly matched the forecast.
Tell MPR News: What do you hope lawmakers accomplish this session? | 