Politics & Government

Capitol Review: Northfield Legislators Assigned to New Committees

Rep. Kelby Woodard (R-District 25B) joins the legislative conference committee and Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25) joins the Senate-House conference committee for the Transportation Finance Omnibus bill.

Editor's Note: Capitol Review is a weekly look at what your state legislators are doing at the Minnesota Capitol—how they're voting, the bills they're writing and the issues they're getting behind. Come back to Northfield Patch every Monday for a new Capitol Review.

State Rep. Kelby Woodard (R-District 25B) of Belle Plaine

Woodard has been appointed to a legislative conference committee which serves as the last stop for this year’s public safety/judiciary omnibus bill.

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As crafted, the bill includes $1.2 billion for public safety and corrections along with $728 million for the judicial system and support services, according to a statement from Woodard. Key initiatives include increased health care co-pays for prison inmates and tougher sentences for predatory sex offenders.

“I am honored to have been selected for this role by Speaker Zellers
and am looking forward to a final bill that funds our priorities while
living within our means,” Woodard said. “That is exactly what I was
sent here to do.”

• Work continues on these bills, which Woodard previously authored or co-authored: a bill that would change provisions to charter schools, including the opening and closing of a school, finding an authorizer and audit reports (HF1321); a bill that would extend by four years the time frame by which residential and commercial entities must comply with the 2008 policy for implementing a subsurface sewage treatment system. Originally, parties would have had to comply with the new rules by Feb. 4, 2012. If Woodard's bill is passed, parties would have until Feb. 4, 2016 to comply (HF 1238). 

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• A bill that would allow a municipality to issue liquor licenses to private, non-profit colleges or universities within that municipality. The bill would allow the college or university to sell alcohol on all days of the week to those attending events at the institution (HF 1174); a bill that would appropriate an undetermined amount of funds in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 from the general fund to the commissioner of public safety. The funds would be used to establish grants to establish a demonstration project for high-risk adults (HF 1182).

• For more bills that Woodard is working on, .

• Woodard is vice chair of the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee. He also serves on the Education Finance Committee and Education Reform Committee.

Tweet of the week: "Ty Bill Adams of Belle Plaine & Sarah Dixon of Northfield for helping me defend Americorps programs in our schools today @ Capitol. #mnleg"

• Woodard's Twitter handle is @KelbyWoodard


State Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25) of Madison Lake

DeKruif was appointed to the joint Senate-House conference committee for the Transportation Finance Omnibus bill.

“Providing and maintaining a public highway system and infrastructure
is a constitutional obligation, and the funding mechanism which draws
from both state and federal sources is often complicated,” DeKruif
said in a statement.

The bill approved in the Senate totaled $4.69 billion for the biennium,
with $139.1 million of this total coming from the state general fund.

• Work continues on these bills, which DeKruif previously authored or co-authored: A bill that would make modify provisions to state legislation for state agency response to natural disasters. The bill would make it easier for entities—including cities, schools and counties—to apply for and receive forgivable loans from the Board of Water and Soil Resources (SF1044); a bill that would allow individual counties to use private auditors, once per year, in addition to state auditors as long as county funds and personnel permit. The private auditor must meet a standard of approval from state auditors (SF0896).

• A bill that would establish a pilot project to examine how school districts might operate jointly to provide innovative delivery of programs and activities and share resources (SF0946); a bill that would authorize special overweight permits for motor vehicles hauling construction aggregate (SF0978); a bill that would clarify and provide for sales tax collection for rent-to-own and lease-to-own motor vehicles (SF0985); a bill that would modify licensing requirements for well contractors in certain cases. SF0588 was introduced March 7.

• A bill that would allow high school freshmen and sophomores to enroll for college in the school classes to earn college credits (SF0510); a bill to eliminate sales tax for purchases made by local government bodies, including counties, cities and townships (SF0371); a bill that would modify the Minnesota rural preserve property tax program (SF0298); a bill that would increase sanctions for careless driving resulting in a death to be a gross misdemeanor. Currently it’s a misdemeanor (SF0201);

• A bill that would change eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance for minors of business owners (SF0114); a bill that would provided a phased-in subtraction for military retirement pay (SF0041); a bill that would abolish prohibition of certificate of need for new nuclear power plants (SF0004); a bill that would restore the Green acres and agriculture classification to pre-2008 (SF0002).

• DeKruif serves on the Education Committee, Jobs and Economic Growth Committee and the Transportation Committee.

Tweet of the week: None this week.

• DeKruif's Twitter handle is @SenatorDeKruif


State Sen. Dave Thompson (R-District 36) of Lakeville

• Work continues on these bills, which Thompson previously authored or co-authored: a bill that requires an auditor to provide dependent eligibility verification for state-paid hospital, medical, and dental benefits provided to state employees and their dependents (SF0811), as well as, SF1034, which repeals a law precluding the admissibility of seat belt use evidence in certain civil actions.; a bill (SF0750) that would change the state’s graduation requirements to include completion of “one-half credit of classes through post-secondary enrollment options, advanced placement, or international baccalaureate, or complete a successful work experience in a program approved by the student's school district or charter school.” The students would have to complete the requirement anytime between grades 9 and 12; a bill that would appropriate more than $1.5 million through a bond sale to complete the Cannon Falls Lake Byllesby Dam spillway project. SF0690 mirrors a House bill Garofalo previously introduced.

• A bill that would prohibit "public school employees from using public funds and resources to advocate to pass, elect, or defeat a political candidate, ballot question, or pending legislation" (SF0577); a bill that would reduce the number of members in the House of Representatives and the Senate (SF0419); a bill that would limit the availability of evidence derived from a collective law process, in the court room for civil and criminal proceedings (SF0344); a bill that makes statutory conforming amendments relating to civil actions. The bill also makes assignments for receiverships and creditors. (SF0352); a bill authored (SF0056).

• Thompson serves on the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, Education Committee, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, and State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee.

Tweet of the week: "Why is nobody asking the president about the Obamacare waivers?"

• Thompson's Twitter handle is @ThompsonSenate 


State Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-District 36B) of Farmington

• Work continues on these bills, which Garofalo previously authored: a bill, related to school district financing, that would clarify interest payments on the permanent school fund (HF0785); two bills that would appropriate more than $3 million toward projects around Lake Byllesby in Cannon Falls. The first bill, HF0490, would appropriate $1.5 million through a bond sale to complete the Lake Byllesby Dam spillway project. The second bill, HF0491, would appropriate another $1.5 million for a pedestrian bridge to span the Cannon River in Lake Byllesby Regional Park.; a bill that would offer the presidency to the candidate who receives the popular vote, rendering the Electoral College obsolete (HF0495); a bill that would reinstate a general education aid reduction for certain taconite distributions. (HF0306);

• A bill that would require photo identification to receive Minnesota Family Investment Program assistance and would restrict users from using monthly cash payments to purchase tobacco, alcohol or lottery tickets (HF0171); a bill that would exempt pet sales from sales taxes (HF0036); a bill that would amend teacher licensure provisions by establishing an alternative teacher preparation program that allows eligible individuals to acquire a two-year limited-term teaching license (HF0063), a bill that would increase sanctions for careless driving resulting in a death to be a gross misdemeanor. Currently it’s a misdemeanor (HF0068).

• Garofalo chairs the Education Finance Committee this session. He also sits on the Redistricting Committee, Taxes Committee and Ways and Means Committee.

Tweet of the week: "Please join me in mocking the Royal Wedding by using the hash tag #DudeDontDoIt"


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