Community conversation with District 13 Team
Please join Senator Howe, Rep. Demuth, and Rep. Tim O’Driscoll from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Friday, March 19, for a community conversation.
Register in advance for this meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcuivqTkvHdJLbaIuhhB5wtMUPBMgHTTo.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Budget work
Formal budget work is just beginning now that we have received the February economic forecast for our state. That report from Minnesota Management & Budget projects a $1.6 billion surplus for the 2022-23 biennium, a rather pronounced departure from the $1.3 billion shortfalls projected in December for the same period – representing nearly a $3 billion reversal.
Compared to the deficit, this is welcome news for our state and allows us an opportunity to say once again that we are not going to allow any new taxes this year. But these numbers are inflated with the number of dollars we’ve received from the federal government.
The one consistent message I have received from constituents in response to this budget news is: “Good. Don’t raise our taxes.”
That said, our focus should be on providing taxpayers with relief and security as we work toward safely re-opening our state and revitalizing our post-pandemic economy.
Let’s help businesses and families that have been impacted during the pandemic get back on their feet from the financial hardships they’ve experienced. Tax increases are unnecessary, would be detrimental to regrowing our economy, and should be set aside during negotiations.
Senate Republicans support law enforcement
Senate Republicans are committed to funding our law enforcement and standing for public safety.
On Monday, March 8, the Senate passed legislation funding the Law Enforcement Operations Account (LEO), securing emergency law enforcement operations’ resources to extraordinary and unplanned emergency events. The resources can be accessed by state and local law enforcement following an emergency declaration or when the Minnesota State Patrol requests assistance for state properties, particularly the Minnesota Capitol.
The legislation isn’t a partisan game; it isn’t Republicans vs. Democrats. This legislation ensures that, regardless of where you live if there are riots or unrest, you can know that our police will have the resources to protect you and your community. We need to ensure our state is providing public safety for all Minnesotans.
Minnesota Senate pass bipartisan PPP conformity legislation
On Thursday, March 11, the Minnesota Senate passed legislation that seeks to ensure businesses are not penalized for keeping their employees on the payroll through the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was an emergency measure passed by the federal government to help businesses and business owners keep their employees on the payroll. Unfortunately, business owners are now being faced with the possibility of an unexpected tax on these loans.
The pandemic has hammered Minnesota’s small businesses for an entire year, and now these PPP loans that they were thrown as a lifeline could be the very thing dragging them down. Minnesota is the only state in the upper Midwest to still have these loans subject to taxation, and it’s just wrong. This is a good bill that ensures our small businesses aren’t hit with an unexpected tax. Our small businesses did what they needed to keep their doors open and their employees paid, and now we need to do our part to help them avoid a ridiculous and unexpected tax.
This bill seeks to bring Minnesota into federal conformity so that these forgivable loans are not taxed in Minnesota. With tax season on the horizon, passing this bill offers relief to businesses and business owners that have been left wondering if they would be hit with an unexpected tax after a year of uncertainty and floundering revenues.
This bill’s passage ensures that small businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19 in the last year are not also hit with an unprecedented tax for trying to save their businesses and helping their employees during a pandemic.
Legislation I presented this week in committees:
• Creation of Ombudsperson for child-care providers
Senate File 21 was presented on Tuesday in the Human Services Reform Committee. This bill creates an ombudsperson or a central person a child-care provider can call regarding correction orders, conditional licenses, fines, or other unclear issues that can not be resolved through discussion with licensing.
There are other systems like this established which have been successful in assisting Minnesotans. The IRS has an advocate system to give answers and assist in navigating critical situations. I took and patterned the ombudsperson for childcare after this. This will assist the childcare providers and help those especially in rural Minnesota.
This bill was amended, recommended to pass, and re-referred to the Committee on State Government Finance and Policy and Elections.
You can watch the full committee at mnsenate.granicus.com.
• Classifying teachers as essential employees – Senate File 1383
This morning, I introduced Senate File 1383 in the Education Finance and Policy Committee. This bill will classify teachers as essential employees and ensure that our children are in school.
The legislation identifies and takes notice that we understand our teachers are essential and need to be classified as such. It is necessary to have our teachers in the classroom prepare students for the complex society we live in.
This bill was laid over for possible inclusion in another bill.
• Definition of “Public Official”
On Thursday, I introduced Senate File 620, a bill that adds more transparency and accountability for Minnesota’s small cities.
Under current law, all data related to a complaint or charge against a public official becomes public upon completion of the investigation, or if the public official resigns, or is terminated from employment while the investigation is pending (unless access to the data would jeopardize an active investigation or reveal confidential sources).
The current definition of “public official” does not include positions in cities with a population of 7,500 or less, or counties with 5,000 or less. S.F. 620 expands the definition of a public official by removing these population minimums to include managers, chiefs, directors, and heads in all cities and counties.
• Regulating debt settlement service providers
The Commerce Committee heard Senate File 1391 on Wednesday, March 10. This bill corrects something that was previously missed. This legislation changes and adds people to the definition of who is not a protected agent for debt collection. Senate File 1391 clarifies that certain groups are not included in a debt settlement services provider’s definition. The groups not included are banks, credit unions, employees performing credit services for an employer, public officers acting in an official capacity, etc. Registered accounting practitioners, firms, CPAs, or CPA firms are also not included.
Senate File 1391 was recommenced to pass and is on the way to the floor.
You can watch my entire presentation at mnsenate.granicus.com.
• Advanced recycling
We have a plastics challenge in Minnesota and, more broadly, this country. Plastics deliver a lot of great benefits to our modern society. However, while we use plastics every day, we don’t do an excellent job of recycling them after use so that we can keep them out of our landfills, lakes, and oceans. That is why I presented Senate File 1392 on “Advanced Recycling,” also known as chemical conversion or chemical recycling, so that we can recycle these plastics in an environmentally friendly way.
Instead of burying these plastics into a landfill, we reuse these plastics by converting them into a versatile mix of new products, including the raw materials for new chemicals, plastics, waxes, lubricants, coatings, and many other products of chemistry. The thermochemical reaction is used to take these plastics back to their fundamental molecular level and then rebuild them into new products.
Advanced recycling would enable us to recycle many of the plastics now destined for landfill. Suppose we recovered just 25% of those plastics via advanced recycling. In that case, we could generate $82 million/year in new economic development here in Minnesota while keeping these plastics out of our landfills and lakes.
There is a lot we need to do for our environment, which is a positive step in the right direction.
• Collection of reasonable attorney fees
Yesterday, I presented Senate File 28 in the Committee on Civil Law. This legislation is necessary for landlords and landowners. When landowners or landlords go through the eviction process, the current state statute’s maximum attorney fees cannot exceed $5. I do not know of any attorneys who will work for $5. Senate File 28 allows a prevailing party in an eviction action to collect reasonable attorney fees.
This bill has been recommended to pass and is on its way to general orders.
You can watch my entire presentation and committee hearing at mnsenate.granicus.com.
• Real property appraisers continuing education, evaluations, and standards of conduct modifications
On Monday, I presented Senate File 785 Real property appraisers continuing education, evaluations, and standards of conduct modifications to the commerce committee.
This bill allows out-of-state continuing education credit for courses completed in a classroom outside of Minnesota. Commerce must grant continuing education credit that has been completed outside of the state if the course has been approved for CE credit in at least two other states.
Course content and textbooks need to be substantially similar to those utilized by the Minnesota license. The licensee will need to pay a fee and be able to produce certification of the completed course. Finally, the bill requires a real estate appraiser needs to complete a continuing education course on valuation bias against a protected class (age, race, sex, physical or developmental disability, etc.).
Senate File 785 was amended and recommended to pass.
You can listen to my whole presentation at mnsenate.granicus.com.
Legislation introduced
Below is just some of the legislation I have chief-authored so far this session:
• Senate File 1828 – Age-related exemptions for certain hunting and fishing licenses modification.
• Senate File 1930 – St. Joseph Jacob Wetterling Recreation Center appropriation modification.
• Senate File 1931 – State construction and sustainability provisions modifications.
• Senate File 1932 – Firefighters certification board commissioner of public safety appointment and appropriation.
• Senate File 1991 – Motor vehicle rental tax revenue allocation modification.
• Senate File 1993 – Public Employees Retirement Association payment period extension for the purchase of service credit for periods of military service authorization.
To view all my legislation visit http://revisor.mn.gov.
Senator Jeff Howe
3235 Minnesota Senate Building
95 University Avenue West
Saint Paul MN 55155
Tel: (651) 296-2084
Email: sen.jeff.howe@senate.mn