This week at the Capitol—Busy week includes testimony & passage of bills
By Toby Pearson | February 24, 2023 | All members
We had a busy couple of days at the legislature this week. First, on Monday we testified on the paid family leave proposal in the Senate Human Services Committee. Then on Tuesday, we testified against the SEIU Nursing Home Workforce Standards bill. See related ACTION articles with more in-depth information.
The legislature cancelled hearings on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week to try to allow members to return to their districts ahead of the snowstorm. However, they did pass a couple of bills that will go to the governor for his signature.
House
First, the House passed a catalytic converter bill that would prohibit the possession of a detached catalytic converter with a few narrow exceptions and provide that individuals found with illegally acquired detached catalytic converters can be imprisoned for up to 10 years and/or fined up to $20,000.
The House also passed a bill on missing and murdered Black women and girls. “This office is not asking for more attention; it’s about getting the same attention and having our lives honored in the same ways. We matter and we deserve the same energy and coverage in our cases.” The office would build accountability, leverage responsibility, and facilitate resources and services to reduce and prevent violence against Black women and girls. Modeled after the Office of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relatives established by the legislature in 2021, the bill would enact recommendations in the December 2022 report of the Missing & Murdered African American Women Task Force and would be dedicated to preventing and ending the targeting of violence against Black women and girls.
Finally, the House passed a bill banning conversion therapy for children and vulnerable adults. Rep. Larry Kraft (DFL-St. Louis Park) said conversion therapy has been shown to cause serious and dangerous harm to those who undergo it, including depression, anxiety, lowered self-esteem, alienation and increased suicidal behaviors. Similar to Gov. Tim Walz’s executive order prohibiting insurance companies and healthcare plans from paying for conversion therapy, the bill would bar medical assistance from covering it. False or fraudulent misrepresentations of conversion therapy would be forbidden, such as guarantees of changing someone’s identity or portraying homosexuality as a mental disease, disorder or illness.
Senate
The Senate passed a bill that would provide for the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) to return to factoring inflation into the expenditure side of the forecast. This will make the budget forecasts more accurate for balancing state budgets.
The Senate also passed a bill that will provide drivers licenses to all. The bill will allow undocumented immigrants to get a state driver’s license. Supporters of the driver's licenses measure include law enforcement officials, clergy members, business groups and immigrant rights groups who say it will boost public safety by keeping roads safe and help the state's economy by ensuring people can get to work. Opponents have concerns about the action opening the lack of "safeguards" to protect people without legal status from voting and enrolling in state programs. They want the licenses for undocumented immigrants to be distinguishable from other driver's licenses.
The Senate also passed the “Restore the Vote” bill. This bill will allow Minnesotans to vote when they leave prison. "Individuals living in our communities—there's already been a decision made by the courts and others where they should be. They are safe. They are paying taxes. They are raising families. And they're doing everything they need to do to be in our communities," said Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis. "We all agree that voting is important. It is our voice, and we don't want to disenfranchise anyone from voting."
Both of those bills will move to the governor for his signature.
Toby Pearson | Vice President of Advocacy |
tpearson@careproviders.org | 952-851-2480