Capitol Review: Northfield's Thompson Proposes Bill to Reduce Senate, House Seats in Minnesota’s Legislature

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.

Here’s what’s happened this past week with bills authored or co-authored by local legislators:

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

If Lakeville’s state senator has his way, Minnesota’s house and senate will be smaller in 2012.

State Sen. Dave Thompson (R-District 36) of Lakeville, who also represents the northern part of Northfield in Dakota County, introduced a bill last week that would shrink Minnesota’s House of Representatives from 134 to 128 members, and would reduce the number of state senators from 67 to 64 members.

The aim of the bill, SF0419, is to make the number of state senators and representatives divisible by the “number of representatives in Congress apportioned to the state,” the bill says. Minnesota currently has eight congressional seats, with Northfield being represented by Congressman John Kline (R-Lakeville), in Minnesota’s second district.

The bill also prohibits the crossing of congressional district boundaries in the formation of senate districts when the legislature begins its redistricting in 2012.

The bill was referred to the State Government Innovation and Veterans committee.

Thompson also introduced a bill last week that makes drastic changes to labor and employment provisions for construction projects that are at least 50 percent funded by the state.

The bill, SF0454, eliminates language that says workers can work no more than eight hours a day and 40 hours per week. The bill also eliminates language that defines hourly basic and prevailing wage rates and brings them in line with federal guidelines.

Thompson also introduced SF0455, a bill that modifies the membership requirements for members of the Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee.

The Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee advises the Department of Natural Resources on the management of permanent school fund land, which is held in trust for the school districts of the state.

The bill requires the committee include more members. It currently includes a number of house and senate members, including the chairs of the senate and house education committees, as well as a school superintendents from metro and suburban school districts. In the bill, “one house member of the minority party appointed by the minority leader, and one senator of the minority party appointed pursuant to the rules of the senate” would be added to the committee. In addition, “one person with expertise on school finance matters” would be added as well.

Finally, last week Thompson introduced SF0473, which clarifies Funeral goods sale license requirements. While a license is required to maintain, manage, or operate a funeral home, no license is needed to sell “caskets, urns, or other funeral goods,” the bill states.

• Work continues on these bills, which Thompson previously authored or co-authored: 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: "WI - Population 5.6 million, $3.6 billion deficit. MN - Population 5.3 million, $6.2 billion deficit. Guess if WI in crisis, MN in crisis."

• Thompson's Twitter handle is @ThompsonSenate

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

• Work continues on these bills, which DeKruif previously authored or co-authored: 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.

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

• Authored a bill that would amend statutes in relation to the Minnesota Youthworks program and recast it as the AmeriCorps Innovation program, aligning it with federal law. HF0617 was introduced Feb. 21.

• Work continues on these bills, which Woodard previously authored or co-authored: a bill that would streamline revenue for health and safety programs, relating to education finance (HF0420); a bill that would allow students who perform well at public schools that consistently underperform to enroll at a private school with financial assistance from the state. There are several requirements needed to make students eligible, such as the child's family income being equal to or less than 175 percent of the federal income level (HF0273); a bill that would require photo identification to vote (HF0210);

• A bill that would limit funding for abortion for state-sponsored health programs, unless required to continue in federal programs (HF0201); a bill that would change the language of the basic skills test aspiring teachers are required to take to earn their licenses. The wording would change from "successfully complete" to "pass"(HF0183); a bill that would delay charter school authorizer approval from June 30, 2011, to June 30, 2012 (HF0134);

• A bill that would change the language of insurance coverage of dependents of a deceased peace officer or firefighter (HF0149); a bill that would introduce "Choose Life" license plates (HF0091); a bill that would repeal the political contribution refund (HF0066); a bill that would restore the Green acres and agriculture classification to pre-2008 (HF0012); a bill that would establish a Healthy Minnesota contribution program, redesigning service delivery for lower-income MinnesotaCare enrollees (HF0008); a bill that would abolish some local government mandates (HF0007); a bill that would increase the penalty for those convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct (HF0006).

• 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: "Enjoyed my town hall with Carleton students (and a few adults ) on Friday. Respectful questions and dialogue in true MN fashion.#mnleg"

• Woodard's Twitter handle is @KelbyWoodard

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

• Introduced a bill that would offer the presidency to the candidate who receives the popular vote, rendering the Electoral College obsolete. The bill, HF0495, makes its way to the house floor annually, yet never makes it to the Governor’s desk despite broad, bi-partisan support.

• Introduced 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.

• Work continues on these bills, which Garofalo previously authored: a bill that would reinstate a general education aid reduction for certain taconite distributions. HF0306 was introduced Jan. 31.; 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: "Funny that I get blamed for ALL the practical jokes at the capitol when in truth I'm only responsible for 90 to 95% of them"

• Garofalo's Twitter handle is @PatGarofalo