Omnibus bills + Fighting for youth sports

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April 16, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

It has been a hard week. The death of Daunte Wright was a terrible tragedy in our community and our state. I am praying for his family and friends and for everyone involved. I am confident the BCA will conduct a thorough investigation to ensure justice is served. 

Executive Summary

• Omnibus Bills
• Camaraderie isn't dead!
• Rescinding youth sports mask mandate during competition
• Extension of Emergency Powers
• Bill to Support Small Business

• Amendment for Sole Proprietors Working from Home

• Helpful Links

Omnibus Bills

This week the House shifted its focus to the omnibus budget bills that each committee has put together. On Thursday, the House voted on Legacy and Housing Omnibus Finance bills and today we took up Transportation and a combined bill for State Government Finance and Veterans Affairs. 

Today we will be offering 130 amendments on the State Government Finance and Transportation bills.  Unfortunately, very few of our amendments to improve these bills will adopted by the majority. 

All of these bills had some good provisions, but they also had many others I could not support.  I am hopeful that the final versions that come out of the Conference Committee will be legislation I can support.

Once again, I find these giant omnibus bills very frustrating.  They may also be unconstitutional. According to Article IV, Section 17: “No law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title.”

It seems clear to me that these giant omnibus bills that combine multiple smaller bills violate this provision.  This perennial issue at the Capitol has also been litigated, but it nevertheless continues. 

According to a report by House Research, “In 2000, the supreme court found a section of a large omnibus act unconstitutional.  A few years later, the court of appeals found the Personal Protection Act unconstitutional for similar reasons.

Despite these narrow rulings, there has never been a blanket prohibition by the court on omnibus bills, so they continue to be used. I will continue to push to end this practice by both parties.

Camaraderie isn't dead!

In the coming weeks, we will be spending many hours on the House floor. Thankfully, Speaker Hortman has doubled the number of members allowed on the floor. We now can have 50 members on the floor (in normal years we have 134!)  Although it is not nearly full, it is great to have more colleagues involved in the debates in person. Although we certainly have strong policy disagreements, on a personal level, we generally are quite friendly and it has been good to reconnect with colleagues I haven’t seen since last March!

Having more members in the building is also much better for our representative government. We can have informal conversations, ask each other questions, and share ideas. As we negotiate a final budget, allowing more members to participate in the legislative process in-person will create better legislation for all Minnesotans. 

Rescinding youth sports mask mandate during competition

On Wednesday I sent a letter, signed by 16 colleagues, to Gov. Walz once again urging him to rescind the youth sports mask mandate during outdoor athletic competition. We learned on Thursday that the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Sports Medicine Advisory Council sent a similar request to the Governor and MDH. 

As you may remember, I have been advocating for the removal of the youth sports mask mandate during competition since January when I sent this letter to Gov. Walz. The Governor needs to remove the mask mandate for children competing outdoors in youth sports. For months, parents and coaches across the state have contacted my colleagues and me asking us to share their stories of the hardship masks pose to our student athletes. 

Findings from both the CDC and World Health Organizations show that children should not wear masks during physical activity as it can cause difficulty breathing. Data also shows that household and community spread of COVID-19 from children is minimal, while transmission rates for young people have remained low. 

I support the MSHSL and echo their calls to remove the sports mask mandate while young people are competing outdoors.

Extension of Emergency Powers

Governor Walz's emergency powers were extended yet again this week. On Wednesday, I voted for the 18th time to end his emergency powers. The time of "emergency" is over. Vaccines are increasing everyday. Hospital and death rates are low. It is time to bring the Governor's emergency powers to an end as the threat of COVID-19 lessens and we begin to repair our economy from the devastating impacts of shutdowns.

I have heard from many of you recently about the current restrictions that are in place for gatherings. We are quickly entering the season of graduation parties and weddings, and everyone is eager to start planning these momentous events in a safe way. 

Here is the latest guidance on gatherings at private residences and event spaces.

Bill to support small businesses

I introduced a bill today to support small businesses by making sure their Unemployment Insurance (UI) taxes are not increased in order to repay the current deficit in the UI Trust Fund. This legislation would require the UI Trust Fund to be repaid with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan, if the debt is not forgiven.

The UI Trust fund is currently more than $1.3 billion in debt (it fluctuates as payments and benefits come in and out). This debt to the federal government will either eventually be forgiven (as was done after the financial crisis) or will need to be repaid. Repayment is done through a UI tax increase on employers levied by the Commissioner of the Dept. of Employment & Economic Development (DEED).

The bill requires that if the debt is not forgiven, it must be repaid with the first $2 billion of the American Rescue Plan money that comes to the state. Basically, this will use up a large part of the discretionary $2.6 billion the Governor will otherwise to spend from this ARP money.

With at least $5 billion coming to Minnesota from the federal government, and a $1.6 billion surplus, we must act to support our small businesses. They have suffered so much over the past year. They should not have to repay the UI Trust Fund through a tax increase when they are trying to recover from the covid-related closures. Let's give them the reassurance that their UI taxes will not be raised to repay the UI Trust Fund. 

Amendment for Sole Proprietors Working from Home

During the floor debate tonight on the State Government Finance & Veterans bill, I offered an amendment that would allow sole proprietors who work from home to request that their home address not be listed on the Secretary of State’s website for business entity registrations.

I authored this language as a free-standing bill last session, and again this year (HF 276), but had never been able to get a hearing for it. Currently, every business has to register with the Secretary of State’s Office and that business’ address is listed on the SOS’s website. The amendment would allow sole proprietors, whose work address is also their home address, to request that their home address not be listed on the website. The address would still be classified as “public” and could be requested by anyone, but it would no longer be required to be listed on the website, if the business owner requests it not be displayed.

I was pleased that the Chair of the Committee, Rep. Michael Nelson, accepted my amendment as a “friendly amendment” and it passed with an unanimous voice vote.

Helpful Links

Career Pathways for Women Webinar: April is Technology Workforce Month in Minnesota. The SciTech Internship Program is a project of the Minnesota Technology Association. They are hosting a webinar called Career Pathways for Women in Tech on April 22 at 11 AM. Those who are interested in learning more about careers in tech should register for the free virtual event here.

RentHelpMN: If you or someone you know is need of assistance paying rent or utility bills, RentHelpMN provides many resources for those in need. Find out how they can help here.

Grad party planning? Safety guidance here: Current guidance for no more than 50 people at an outdoor social gathering remains in place. If you are hosting an open-house-style graduation party, the relevant limit is that the total number of people attending at a given time should not exceed 50. Additional guidance on social gatherings is available at stay.mn.gov.

Photos

It is nice to see more Members back on the House floor!

My spot during the long floor sessions.

Please Contact Me

Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.

During the continuing COVID restrictions, the best way to reach me is by email:  rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn.  You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked a couple of times/day. 

Have a great weekend!

Kristin

225 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806