Politics & Government

Capitol Review: Woodard Co-authors Bill to Create Minnesota Youth Council

The council would serve as a liaison for youth around the state to the legislature and the governor.

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 last week co-authored a bill that would create the Minnesota Youth Council. According to the language of the bill (HF1708), the council would:

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• provide advice and recommendations to the legislature and the governor on issues affecting youth;

• serve as a liaison for youth around the state to the legislature and the governor;

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• serve as mentors for political education in the members' communities; and

• submit an annual report of the council's activities and goals.

Members must be selected through an application and interview process conducted by the Minnesota Alliance With Youth, which it would work under and with. In making its appointments, the Minnesota Alliance With Youth should strive to ensure gender and ethnic diversity in the council's membership. Members must be between the ages of 13 and 19 and serve two-year terms, except that one-half of the initial members must serve a one-year term. Members may serve a maximum of two terms.

According to the bill, the Youth Council Advisory Committee would meet at least twice each year during the regular session of the legislature. The committee may select introduced bills in the house of representatives and senate for consideration for a public hearing before the committee; propose youth legislation; provide advisory opinions to the legislature on bills heard before the committee; and prepare a youth omnibus bill.

• 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). 

• 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: "Prediction for bi-partisan support of castle doc bill holds true. Bill passes 79 to 50. #mnleg"

• Woodard's Twitter handle is @KelbyWoodard


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

DeKruif's "school innovation zone" education bill was approved by the Senate with a 36-25 vote. To read more about it, .

• 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 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


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