Friends and Neighbors,

Congratulations to those who won their primaries last week. Though not an election (no one took office by winning), it is an important nomination by political parties for the November General Election.  Voter turnout for primaries is always dictated by the heat of the contest and we had some big hotspots, plus in a presidential year, turnout is always higher.

Special Session

Last week we finished the third special session of 2020. The Governor decided once again to renew his emergency powers, and constitutionally he is required to call the legislature back. This repetitive renewal of his powers seems more than unnecessary to many of us. He is keeping these powers far beyond what can be reasonably referred to as an “emergency”. With the DFL-controlled House he remains in the emergency powers status, but we will keep trying to restore legislative order and I encourage you to continue reaching out to Governor Walz.

Farm Family Award 

Congratulations to Tom and LuAnn Wingard for receiving the Farm Family of the Year award for Sherburne County! Their commitment to furthering the agricultural industry in Elk River and Minnesota will have a great impact on future generations. Their continued contributions through involvement in the Sherburne County Farm Bureau, the Area II Potato Council, and the Minnesota Irrigators Association further highlights their dedication to advancing farming in Minnesota. I am proud to see this family carrying on these traditions in our community and couldn’t be more grateful!

New laws in effect 

Several new laws went into effect this month. Here are a few of the most pertinent ones:

– Hair stylists and makeup applicators who provide services only at certain events will no longer need full salon licensing. They will still complete a four-hour course in health, safety, and infection control, but will not be subject to over-regulation. 

– Written permit tests will now be offered at deputy registrar offices, high schools, libraries, or other third-party locations. Providing permit tests at these additional locations will cut down on lines at Department of Vehicle Services (DVS) locations, reduce scheduling at testing centers, and allow DVS to focus on scheduling the thousands of people waiting to get their driver’s license.  DVS has said they have put on extra staff and a new expansion of testing to help catch up the severe backlog of testing.

– Established guidelines for the operation of amusement park rides, allowing minors, ages 16 and 17, to be employed.

We have passed many more laws to improve your access to healthcare, increase government accountability, and more. For a comprehensive list of new laws, visit this link: http://www.house.mn/newlaws/#/search/2020.

Mary Kiffmeyer  

State Senator
District 30