The universe of legislation in play will be significantly winnowed down this week as it is the first committee deadline. Committees must act favorably on bills in the house of origin. The focus will increasingly turn to the budget and tax bill as we move to the second half of session.
Real ID
The REAL ID bill, part 1, Senate File 1646 passed the House and Senate this week. This bill will repeal the prohibition that currently exists on the Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) ability to prepare for implementation of REAL ID. The bill will allow DPS to prepare a fiscal note on the cost of implementation of the federal regulation, as well as plan for needed technological infrastructure. The Legislature has asked for DPS to look at a dual track for a compliant and non-compliant driver’s license. The bill asks for an extension from the federal government to allow Minnesota drivers’ licenses to be accepted for access to federal and military facilities.
Currently, Minnesotans can use their drivers’ licenses for access to commercial aircraft, but if Minnesota is not compliant by 2018, we would need a separate extension.
The report from DPS is due back to the Legislature by April 14, 2016. DPS Commissioner Mona Dohman has indicated the Department can meet this deadline. The Governor signed the bill Thursday.
The bill authors, Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) and Rep. Dennis Smith (R-Maple Grove), will begin working on REAL ID part 2 as they await the report from DPS. The second part will be more difficult as this bill will need to deal with the concerns of privacy advocates and the specifics of the federal compliancy requirements.
Fantasy Sports
Legislation to explicitly authorize fantasy sports games in the state is on its way to a vote in the Minnesota House. The House Public Safety Committee approved the measure Tuesday. It won approval last week from the House Commerce Committee.
The bill would define fantasy sports, both daily and seasonal, as contests of skill, not gambling. Current state law doesn’t say anything about the legality of fantasy games.
Rep. Tim Sanders (R-Blaine) said he wants to clarify the issue in Minnesota and thinks now is the time to codify what is already accessible or lawful here in Minnesota, and officially make fantasy sports legal. Sean Ostrow, Manager of Government Affairs for the fantasy sports company FanDuel, said Sanders’ bill includes common sense consumer protections and regulations.
There has been no action yet on the Senate version of the bill.
North Star Rail Extension
Rep. Jim Knoblach (R-St. Cloud) and Sen. John Pederson (R-St. Cloud) wish to extend the Northstar Commuter Rail line to reach their city. They introduced bills requiring two daily round trips between Minneapolis and St. Cloud.
Knoblach said Monday that the extra 27 miles can run along existing tracks to an Amtrak station in St. Cloud. The state would have to negotiate track use with BNSF Railway. Knoblach said to keep operating costs down, the number of weekday round trip Minneapolis-to-Big Lake runs would be reduced from five to four, and there would be one fewer trip in the already reduced weekend schedule as well. The bill bars the state from increasing spending in the current operating budget.
The new bill had its first hearing Tuesday night before the House Transportation Committee. Two Democrats, Sen. Alice Johnson (DFL-Blaine) and Rep. Jerry Newton (DFL-Coon Rapids) are also seeking $1 million in state bonding to fund the line extension.
Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck and Minnesota Department of Transportation Commission Charlie Zelle said in a joint statement: “We share the governor’s strong support for extending Northstar to St. Cloud. It’s not feasible to extend service, build additional track, serve more people, and have it cost the same as it does today. It is unlikely that BNSF railroad would allow the state to operate on its track at no additional cost. Any proposal to extend Northstar will take real funding solutions.”
Drones
A Senate bill to regulate drone usage made its way through the Senate Judiciary and Transportation committees this week. Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) is carrying the bill for MnDOT. The agency sees a window for Minnesota to act in the absence of federal regulation. Senate File 3312 defines drones as a powered aircraft that are operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft. The legislation adds three misdemeanor violations: launching or recovering a drone from private property without consent; using a drone with intent to interfere with an aircraft in motion; and knowingly operating a drone within an emergency zone established by law enforcement/fire-emergency services or within one mile of a helicopter operated by such entities.
Rep. Jim Newberger (R-Becker) is carrying a similar bill in the House and worked its way through the House Government Operations committee on Thursday on its way to the Public Safety committee.
Universal Pre-K
In setting the stage for another showdown with legislators, Gov. Mark Dayton visited preschool classrooms at the Kaposia Education Center in South St. Paul Thursday to highlight his $25 million plan to start offering voluntary pre-kindergarten programs throughout Minnesota.
Dayton’s spending proposal, which is significantly lower than the $348 million he wanted last session, would benefit 3,700 children. The Governor told reporters that he’s hopeful about winning legislative approval of this year’s smaller request, and will seek additional money next session during a budget year.
Sen. Katie Sieben (DFL-Newport) said she believes preschool should be available to all families, not just those with low incomes. Sieben is sponsoring legislation to establish a universal pre-kindergarten option.
There is no House companion bill. House Republicans have favored early learning scholarships, which target low-income families, rather than universal pre-kindergarten. The issue pitted Republicans and Democrats against one another at the end of last session and contributed to the derailing of the transportation budget bill.
