BLOG: Dayton Drops B2B Tax, Election Reform, and the Homeless Youth Act

Yesterday, I joined a group of legislators and met with Governor Mark Dayton to discuss the state budget. At the meeting, Governor Dayton listened to our input as we shared ideas and concerns about his budget.

Since the Governor's budget was announced I have participated in town hall meetings and sought input from constituents and small business owners, and many of you expressed a lot of concern around the business-to-business tax. Earlier today at a meeting with business leaders, Governor Dayton announced that he will be dropping business-to-business taxes from his budget. I’m glad Governor Dayton listened to our concerns and is willing to work closely with us.

Now the legislature will be putting together a budget proposal and I will work to incorporate the priorities I’ve heard from constituents: investments in education and our future, a budget balanced honestly and without gimmicks, and a budget that keeps Minnesota economically competitive and allows our businesses to succeed. I look forward to working with my legislative colleagues and the governor on a budget that moves Minnesota forward.

Bipartisan Election Reform Bill Heard in Committee

On Tuesday, bipartisan election reform legislation I authored received a hearing in the House Elections Committee. The bill, HF 637, contains the legislative recommendations adopted by the bipartisan Task Force on Election Integrity. The Task Force was established by executive order of the governor in 2011.

The bill modifies certain standards related to alleged voter registration and voting crimes, requires the Department of Corrections to share data on individuals subject to felony probation resulting in the loss of civil rights with the secretary of state, and requires written notices be provided to individuals whose eligibility to vote is rescinded or restored based on the status of a felony sentence.

The aim of this bill is to bring even more integrity to our already excellent election system. It will make it clearer to felons that they are not eligible to vote while giving county attorneys, county auditors, and the Secretary of State more tools to notify and track people ineligible to vote.

The bill has bipartisan support, with Rep. Mike Benson (R – Rochester), a member of the Task Force on Election Integrity, signed on as a co-author. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, co-chair of the Task Force on Election Integrity, and Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom testified in support of the bill.

I’m very pleased this bill has bipartisan support. Any election reform we pass this session needs to have support from members of both parties. We can work together on reforms and it will be better for the people of Minnesota if we do. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this bill through the legislative process.

The bill was passed out of the House Elections Committee and referred to the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.

Homeless Youth Act

The Homeless Youth Act I authored was heard in the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee yesterday. Hundreds of people gathered to support the bipartisan bill supported by the faith community and others. It's laid over for possible inclusion into an omnibus bill.

The Homeless Youth Act would provide $8 million per biennium to go to intervention and prevention services that are proven to be effective and cost-efficient. The goal of the Homeless Youth Act is to give today’s homeless young person the opportunity to become a successful adult.

As always, please feel free to contact me with your ideas, questions, or concerns on any legislative issue. You can reach me by phone at 651-296-4128, or by email at rep.laurie.halverson@house.mn. You can also follow me on Twitter for updates.