Dear neighbors,

We’re wrapping up the third week of the 2018 legislative session. With the first committee deadline — the deadline by which a bill must be heard in at least one committee — already next week, things are going to continue to move at a very swift pace. This week, I’ve included a couple of the bigger issues being debated at the Capitol, as well as a link to my video update where you can find more information.

As always, if you’re in Saint Paul, please contact my office to set up a visit — I’d love to meet you and show you around our beautiful Capitol. My legislative assistant, Alec, will be able to help you set up your visit. I’m looking forward to seeing you!

– Bill

Follow me on Facebook

I encourage you to follow my Facebook page for updates on the latest from the Capitol. I’ve heard from many of you with comments about my video updates, which I will continue to do throughout the year. Facebook is a great place to share your comments, see — in real time — what’s happening in St. Paul, and more. Follow my page today!

Nitrogen rule

This week, Governor Dayton’s administration unveiled a proposal to reduce nitrate levels in groundwater across Minnesota – known as its “nitrogen rule”. Nitrate is used by farmers to fertilize and under the proposed rule, certain restrictions would be placed on soil applications in certain areas of the state based on soil types.

Details of the proposal need to be evaluated carefully, ensuring that flexibility exists to exempt areas of tighter soil that can be found even in sandier, coarse soil regions. The rule as presented on Tuesday does exempt many areas – this is good, as there is no one rule that can be universally applied, especially with the diversity of farmland and crops across Minnesota.

There is a real danger of serious economic consequences for farmers, landowners, and all Minnesotans if the rule should be improperly applied. I believe we need to study the proposed rule carefully before considering a significant change to the fertilizer situation. We also need to see the research upon which the rule is based.

There have been several bills this session to either delay the rule or require legislative approval, but action on those bills has been tabled for the time being so people can review the governor’s rule and give the department feedback. I will be working with my constituents, my colleagues, the governor’s administration, and farmers and landowners through the session to ensure all parties are included in this discussion. The agriculture commissioner has indicated there will be several public meetings throughout the state during 2018, affording you the opportunity to provide feedback. Please keep an eye out for the date of those meetings.

Overhaul of Minnesota’s IT state agency

Considering the debacle at your DMV with the total failure of the state’s new licensing and vehicle registration system known as MNLARS, my colleagues and I are proposing major changes to MN.IT, the state’s information technology agency. The legislation would restructure MN.IT from a standalone state agency to under the existing Department of Administration, allowing the agency to consider competitive outside bids for future software development needs.

Minnesotans depend on the state’s information technology infrastructure for a myriad of things, including vehicle licensing and registration, calculating health care premiums, and paying teachers. Yet, it’s the taxpayers that have been on the hook for millions of dollars in contractual overages and little accountability or transparency.

With the cost of MNLARS nearing $100 million – a 200% increase of its initial projected costs – I believe this change is necessary to make sure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. I expect this legislation to be heard in committee and debated by the full Senate over the next couple of months.

Office of Health Facility Complaints

This week, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) released a scathing report on Minnesota’s Office of Health Facility Complaints (OHFC), the state agency charged with investigating reports of wrongdoing, abuse, or neglect at Minnesota senior care facilities. The report determined, among other troubling things, that the agency has failed in its mission to adequately protect the elderly and vulnerable residents of Minnesota’s senior care facilities.

This is an issue that has been on the forefront for months after last year’s Star Tribune investigation alleging a climate of intimidation, fear, and incompetence within the department. The report emphasizes the importance of making serious, systemic changes at the Office of Health Facilities Complaints. Over the next couple of weeks, legislation will be debated in the Senate to bring more accountability and transparency within the department.

The OHFC has caught up on its backlog of complaints, but we need to do our part in making sure this does not happen again. The report has given us specificity on the problems at the OHFC and I expect there to be bipartisan agreement that a legislative fix is desperately needed.