Dear friends and neighbors,
As we know, summer means road construction. While lane adjustments, detours, and road closures can be aggravating, in the long run we know it makes our commutes smoother and safer.
The 2019 legislative session was another successful one for those who care about transportation infrastructure. Here are a few of the highlights:
What we did this year
Senate Republicans have made transportation funding a top priority from the moment we took the majority in 2017. Our first budget in 2017 invested $5 billion into roads and bridges over a ten-year span, including $300 million in new permanent, on-going funding. We also provided special transportation assistance for small cities, as well as local bridge replacement and rehabilitation throughout the state.
This year, we built on the investments of the previous budget. The new 2-year bipartisan budget invests more than $8 billion for roads, bridges, and transit over the next two years.
Most importantly, we are rebuilding transportation infrastructure using existing funds. We successfully resisted efforts to raise gas taxes, license tab fees, and motor vehicle sales taxes. These regressive taxes harm Minnesotans who can least afford it; protecting them was just as important as fixing Minnesota’s decaying roads and bridges. I am glad we were able to accomplish both.
Cracking down on distracted driving
The dangers of distracted driving are well known. According to the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, distracted driving was a contributing factor in 20% of crashes between 2013 and 2017, leading to an average of 53 deaths and hundreds more injuries each year.
This year, the legislature approved a bipartisan hands-free cell phone requirement for all drivers, which takes effect August 1. From now on, when you are behind the wheel, all cell phone activity must be hands-free. This includes making calls, using GPS or navigation apps, and listening to audio. And please note, if you are choosing to use earbuds while driving, it is illegal to have them in both ears, so make sure to keep one ear free.
Slowpoke bill will clear the passing lane of slow drivers
At some point, most of us have experienced the frustration of a motorist driving too slowly in the left-hand lane. It isn’t just irritating; it can be dangerous as well.
Also effective August 1 is the new ‘slowpoke’ law. Put simply, this new law requires slow drivers to move out of the left lane so that faster drivers can pass them. The law includes exceptions when traffic or weather conditions make moving over more dangerous, and it does not give drivers free rein to speed at will. However, it will help traffic flow more efficiently and safely.
Progress on the MNLARS mess
Minnesota’s new system for licensing and registering vehicles, MNLARS, has been a debacle ever since it was rolled out in 2017. Earlier this year, a panel of independent, non-government experts recommended scrapping MNLARS entirely and switching to software developed by the private sector. Many Senate Republicans have advocated this approach from the beginning, so we were pleased that Gov. Walz agreed with the experts’ suggestion.
This year’s bipartisan transportation bill includes funding that will help us finally move away from MNLARS and get new, successful private sector software in place.
We also provided funding to help deputy registrars get back on their feet. These are the private small businesses who process vehicle transactions throughout the state. Many of them nearly lost their entire livelihoods due to MNLARS. These men and women were put into an impossible situation through no fault of their own, and this year we made it a priority to help provide them support.
Contact me
As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me any time. Your feedback is extremely important to me and I encourage you to share your input. You can send me an email at sen.jeremy.miller@senate.mn or call my Capitol office at 651-296-5649. It’s a great honor to serve as your State Senator.
Finally, if you don’t already follow me on Facebook, please give my page a ‘Like’. This is a great way to stay on top of the latest news from the Capitol! Visit my page here: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorJeremyMiller/.
Sincerely,
Jeremy