Capitol News Report

Redistricting:  This past Tuesday was a day every sitting legislator was both looking forward to and dreading at the same time.  At 1:00 p.m., the Supreme Court appointed special redistricting panel released the new legislative map which will be used for Minnesota legislative and congressional elections for the next ten years.

Once the data from the court and the maps were reviewed, it became apparent that many current legislators are “paired” in the same legislative district and several new or “open” districts were created.  In the Minnesota House, 15 new or open seats are created and 30 incumbents are paired.  Of these, six seats are DFL vs DFL, six seats are Republican vs Republican, and three seats are DFL vs Republican.  In the Minnesota Senate, eight new or open seats are created and 16 incumbents are paired.  Of these, two seats are DFL vs DFL, four seats are Republican vs Republican, and two seats are DFL vs Republican.   In Minnesota, a legislator must live in the district that he or she represents.  So, for some of the pairings, one legislator could choose to move to a different district. 

Since the redistricting maps were released, several legislators have announced retirements, to date, six current House members have announced they will run for state Senate seats, and one current state Senator has announced a run for Congress.  More announcements regarding current legislator’s election plans will be coming in the days and weeks ahead. 

Sex Offender Notification Loophole:  This week, the Minnesota House and Senate passed a bill which Governor Dayton signed to close a loophole in the sex offender community notification law.  Under current law, local law enforcement is prohibited from holding community notification meetings on sex offenders being provisionally discharged from the Minnesota Sexual Offender Program to a half-way house.  The bill passed and signed into law will authorize local law enforcement to notify the public when a sex offender from that program is released into the community.  The bill was passed with broad bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate and quickly signed by Governor Dayton.

Teacher Preparation:  Governor Dayton signed a bill, HF 1770, requiring teachers to pass a basic skills exam in order to receive a Minnesota teaching license.  Current law requires Minnesota colleges and universities that offer a teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance and academic support to teacher candidates that do not pass the basic skills exam.  Last year, Governor Dayton vetoed an earlier version of this bill; the current bill includes changes made through negotiations between the legislature, the Dayton Administration, and key stakeholder groups.

Castle Doctrine:  The Senate joined the House in passing a bill called the “Castle Doctrine”.  This bill expands the circumstances under which individuals may use a weapon in self-defense.  Current law allows people to defend themselves if a felony is being committed in their home, or in cases where an individual fears "great bodily harm or death." The legislation allows individuals to shoot from homes, cars, or public spaces if they felt threatened with substantial harm.  The bill is opposed by law enforcement and county-attorney associations who feel it will put officers at greater risk.  The bill was mostly passed along party lines and a veto from Governor Dayton is expected. 

Next Week:  On Wednesday, February 29 the Minnesota Management and Budget department will release the February budget forecast.  This forecast will be used to make any necessary adjustments to the biennial budget and will be used as guidance as the bonding bill is assembled. 

The Legislature was back at the Capitol for a full week of work after taking a break the previous week for members to attend precinct caucuses in their districts. 

State of the State Address:  Governor Dayton delivered his second State of the State address to a joint convention of the Legislature on Wednesday, February 15.  He emphasized three key points in his address:  (1) Invest in more jobs; (2) Invest in a stronger education system; and (3) Invest in reform of government services.  To invest in more jobs, the Governor urged the Legislature to pass a bonding bill in the near future, to pass a bill to build a Vikings stadium, and to adopt his "Jobs Now" tax credit proposal.  The "Jobs Now" tax credit would encourage businesses to hire unemployed Minnesotans, Veterans and recent college graduate.  On education and government reform, Governor Dayton pointed to the collaboration of the 2011 legislative session with passage of the Alternative Teacher Licensure and the environmental permitting and streamlining bills.  He urges any reforms put forward by the Legislature this year to be developed in cooperation with the parties involved. 

Governor Dayton also highlighted the structural needs of the Capitol building.  He talked about the fact that the building is over 100 years old and is in structural disrepair and in need of improvements.  In one final request to the Legislature, Governor Dayton asked them to make the sacrifice to move out of the Capitol building for the next four years in order to make the necessary improvements.  This, of course, is easier said than done.

Voter ID Constitutional Amendment:  In the first step to placing a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution on the November ballot, the bill to require voters to show a photo ID when voting moved out of the Senate Local Government Committee this week.  The bill was passed along party lines after a lengthy debate about the Constitutionality of the issue and other opposition.  The bill now moves to the Senate State Government Finance committee.

Teacher Reform "Last In/First Out":  A key initiative in the Republican Reform agenda was passed by the House Floor on Thursday this week.  The bill addresses the current method of teacher layoffs and the policy of "last in/first out" or LIFO.  The bill seeks to eliminate the state policy that when a school district is forced to lay off teachers, the most recently hired teachers tend to be the first to be laid off.  The proponents of the bill and those wanting to change the current system point to young teachers whose students show high academic achievement and that is not considered when layoffs occur.  If the bill becomes law, Minnesota would join about 18 other states that have moved toward performance-based decisions in recent years.  Opponents of the bill argue that the bill would push school districts to lay off more senior, higher paid teachers.  The State’s largest teacher union, Education Minnesota, is the main opponent of the bill. 

Next Week:  All Legislators are looking forward to next Tuesday, February 21 at approximately 1:00 p.m. when the courts will release the newly redistricted legislative maps to the public.  The new districts will guide the next election for the Minnesota House and Senate.  The new maps will show where current legislators are put in the same district to face each other in the election and where newly created districts will exist. 

This was a short week at the Minnesota Capitol due to the legislative break for precinct caucus meetings.  The precinct caucuses are the first step in determining who will appear on the ballot in November.  The entire Minnesota Legislature will be up for election this fall because of the new redistricting maps – a process that happens every ten years.  Current legislators and those seeking to run for the Legislature begin the process by seeking endorsement of their political party at the local level.  Potential candidates use the caucus meetings as a way to introduce themselves to the local delegates and to being building support for their candidacy.  

At the Republican caucus meetings, a non-binding “straw poll” was held to select a winner in the race for the Republican nomination of a candidate to run for President.  At the Republican caucuses, Rick Santorum won with 45 percent of the vote, Ron Paul garnered 27 percent, Mitt Romney had 17 percent, and Newt Gingrich had 11 percent.  Unlike many states, Minnesota does not have a presidential primary election to select a candidate for president.  The straw poll is used to guide delegates to the national convention where the Republican presidential candidate is selected.

Back at the Capitol – The House and Senate re-convened at noon on Wednesday, February 8.  In the House, a bill was passed to prohibit union deductions from state child care assistance payments. Minnesota does not currently have a child care union, but Governor Dayton signed an executive order last November calling for an election. However, the vote was stalled when a Ramsey County judge issued a temporary restraining order.  House Democrats said that this bill is a solution to a problem that doesn’t yet exist.

First Vetoes of the Session – Governor Dayton issued his first vetoes of the 2012 legislative session, vetoing all four bills passed by the Republican House and Senate relating to tort reform.  In his veto messages, the Governor stated that he is deeply concerned that the legislation would make it more difficult for average citizens to defend themselves against powerful interests.  He says, “The suggestion that passage of this measure will somehow create jobs in Minnesota lacks merit and substantiation.  Not a single job would be created – but important protections would be greatly impaired.” 

Looking Ahead – Governor Dayton will give his State of the State Address on Wednesday, February 15 at 7:00 p.m. when he addresses a joint convention of the House and Senate in the Minnesota House Chambers.