 |
 Dear friends and neighbors, We are a few weeks into the 2021 session and already are hitting hard against the Governor’s and House Democrats’ agenda to increase taxes and adopt California Emissions Standards. The Senate has also forged ahead to provide Voter ID for Minnesotans – if we must have government-issued ID to get the COVID-19 vaccination, then it makes sense to have the same standard applied to our elections.  MN Budget Proposals On Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz announced his 2021 budget proposal, which calls for $52.4 billion in spending and more than $1.6 billion in new taxes. It represents a spending increase of $4.4 billion from the previous budget. Since day one of session, the Senate has been clear: we are not balancing the budget with tax increases. A budget that increases taxes is not a Minnesota priority. People have suffered enough already. Employees, entrepreneurs, and many businesses have sacrificed for 11 months. The budget reserve can be used to protect people from hurtful tax increases that will further stretch their family budget and harm our economy. The Senate will ask the government to tighten its belt before we ever ask Minnesotans to tighten their belts even more. Majority Leader Gazelka and Senate Republicans previously announced their priorities for the 2021 session. California Emissions Standards On Thursday, the Senate held a hearing featuring several ‘regular’ Minnesotans to learn about how the governor’s proposal to implement California’s vehicle-emissions rules in Minnesota. Governor Walz is attempting to bypass the legislature and implement the rule using the administrative rulemaking process. The hearing followed a Wednesday joint hearing of the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy and Legacy Committees to hear from Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Laura Bishop about the new rules. Numerous testifiers, including suburban moms, auto dealers, and farmers, told the committee that the new rules would place undue hardship on them and their families. If adopted, the California Emission Standards will rattle Minnesota’s economy, raising transportation costs for lower-income residents and disproportionally hurting rural and border communities. Data suggests that new vehicles’ demand will drop 7.1% and that Minnesotans can expect to pay $800-$2,500 more per vehicle, not just on electric vehicles (EVs). The “proposed benefit” of the rules also seems questionable based on data from Minnesota and across the nation. Without adopting the standards, MnDOT’s forecast shows that gasoline usage has already hit its peak and is projected to decline exponentially in the future. Furthermore, states like Pennsylvania, which already have adopted the standards, have a smaller percentage of EVs than Minnesota. This data suggests that Minnesota’s market is already moving towards cleaner and more efficient cars, with more models hitting lots yearly. Like the energy industry, consumers seem to be determining the trend with demand as EVs become more affordable and the technology becoming more accessible. Unfortunately, using their rulemaking power, the MPCA and Governor do not offer any financial incentive to consumers, expecting Minnesota families to front the bill. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has begun hosting public information sessions in the agency’s effort to impose the California Car Mandate on Minnesotans. You can find more information about these sessions at https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/clean-cars-mn-rulemaking. Minnesotans who wish to submit public comments can either attend one of the planned virtual hearings, they can submit links via the Office of Administrative Hearings website (https://mn.gov/oah/), or they can attend a public hearing. The hearings for public comments will take place virtually on February 22 and 23 at 3 p.m. How to Comment on the PCA’s Rule on the California Emission Standards 1. Visit the Office of Administrative hearings website: https://minnesotaoah.granicusideas.com/discussions/36416-pollution-control-agency-notice-of-hearing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-initial-comment-period 2. Scroll down to the bottom where it says, “Topics.” Click “View Topics.” You will be taken to this page: https://minnesotaoah.granicusideas.com/discussions/36416-pollution-control-agency-notice-of-hearing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-initial-comment-period/topics/submit-a-comment-179 3. Scroll to “Sign in or Sign Up.” If you do not have an account, you will need to create one to leave a comment. Your email address, a password, and first and last name are required to create an account. You will then be asked to verify your email account via an email the department will send to the address you gave. If you do not receive a verification email, contact the department at OAH.Webmaster@state.mn.us 4. Once your email is verified, you should be able to submit your comments. If it is not possible for you to use the eComments website, you may submit your written comments in person, via U.S. mail, or by fax to: Administrative Law Judge Jessica PalmerDenig Office of Administrative Hearings 600 N. Robert St. P.O. Box 64620 St. Paul, MN 55164-0620 Telephone (651) 361-7881 and fax (651) 539-0310 For more information, visit https://speakup-us-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/file/5fdbdfbff2b67063a6007eee/Notice_of_Hearing.pdf#page=2&zoom=100,93,413  Voter ID The Minnesota Senate’s committee on State Government and Elections approved a bill that would require Minnesotans to present valid photo identification for in-person and absentee voting. The bill establishes a new voter identification card free-of-charge to individuals who lack proper identification and cannot afford it. The bill was referred to the Committee on Transportation for a hearing next week. Millions of American citizens have lost faith in our elections. This is a common-sense, easy way to restore credibility, integrity, security, and trust in the election process. A voter ID rule promises that every single Minnesotan who wants to participate in the process will be counted and protected — no more, no less. The legislation would require voters to produce valid, government-issued photo identification when voting in person, by absentee or mail-in ballot. Individuals unable to provide valid proof of identity or residence would be able to cast a provisional ballot, affording the voter a period in which they could obtain proper identification. Same-day voter registration would also remain intact. In the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Crawford v. Marion County, the Court held that an Indiana law requiring a photo ID to vote did not violate the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the Court held there are “legitimate state interests” in voting laws requiring photo ID, including deterring, detecting, and preventing voter fraud, improving and modernizing election procedures, and safeguarding voter confidence in elections. Finally, the Court also held that federal law authorizes states to use a photo identification requirement to determine an individual’s eligibility to vote. You can watch the full hearing here or by copying and pasting this link into your preferred web browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC3ul8v1JiI&t=193s Until next time… Thank you for taking the time to look over this brief capitol update. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the above topics or about other state or legislative issues. I am always happy to help. Sincerely,  |
