After this week, we will have heard all but one of the House DFL’s omnibus bills on the House Floor. The one we have left to go is the Health and Human Services omnibus bill, from two of the committees on which I served.
Last week, we heard the Legacy, Housing, and State Government Finance bills. This week, we discussed the Education and Higher Education bills on Monday, the Jobs, Workforce, and Labor omnibus on Tuesday, the Commerce, Climate and Energy bill and the Public Safety and Judiciary bill on Wednesday, and on Thursday we heard the Agriculture, Taxes, and Environment bills.
One of the bills that particularly affects our area here in Northwest Minnesota is the Agriculture bill. Unfortunately, that bill spends less than the Senate’s Ag bill, but still substantially raises pesticide fees on farmers. It also makes harmful policy changes such as eliminating legislative oversight over selecting Board of Animal Health (BAH) members, politicizes the position of State Veterinarian by changing it from a BAH appointment to a gubernatorial appointment, and changing labeling standards for neonicotinoid-treated seed sold in Minnesota, which would change the standard in our state from the one in all our surrounding states, and potentially make some products unavailable to purchase in our state.
The Environment bill would also affect our area, by making it more expensive to enjoy outdoor recreation. It would increase fees on state park permits, the AIS surcharge, and watercraft registration costs.
I look forward to seeing these bills come back after the conference committee process without all the harmful policies and increased taxes.
It’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. I am here to serve you!
Deb Kiel
