How Did Hopkins Legislators Do This Year?

Pushing through legislation is rarely easy for lawmakers in the minority. That trend continued for Hopkins legislators, both of whom are DFLers in a Republican-controlled Legislature.

Despite their minority status, they still managed to shepherd a handful of proposals through the legislative process. But many more of their bills stalled or never even got a hearing.

Here’s a comprehensive look at how their bills fared this year.

Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44)

Bills introduced: 21

• Passed: 4

(Note: Includes companion bills listed below under Rep. Steve Simon.)

Claims Against the State (SF0044)

• What it does: Updates claims against the state provisions; increases the threshold and court-filing fee.
• Introduced: Jan. 13
• Final status: Referred to State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee. Did not receive a hearing.

Claims Against the State Appropriations (SF0054)

• What it does: Sets aside money for the commissioners of corrections and revenue for claims against the state.
• Introduced: Jan. 18
• Final status: The bill was transferred to East Bethel Sen. Michael Jungbauer (R-District 48) and passed May 23.

Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act (SF0136)

• What it does: Makes technical changes to the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act.
• Introduced: Jan. 27
• Final status: The provisions were placed into HF0396, which passed May 5.

STEM School (SF0231)

What it does: Established the Minnesota school of science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) as a public residential high school.

• Introduced: Feb. 3
• Final status: Referred to the Education Committee but did not receive a hearing.

St. Louis Park railroad noise (SF0407)

• What it does: Sets aside $700,000 worth of bond proceeds to pay for barriers that mitigate noise associated with freight rail changes in St. Louis Park.
• Introduced: Feb. 21
• Final status: Referred to the Capital Investment Committee but did not receive a hearing.

Simon sponsored a companion bill, HF0688.

Homestead and commercial-industrial property improvements (SF0552)

• What it does: Also called the “” bill, this legislation would give businesses a break on tax assessments that would likely increase with renovations and other investments into old buildings. That, in turn, would lead to lower taxes.
• Introduced: March 3
• Final status: Received a hearing in the House Taxes Committee but did not in the Senate.

Simon sponsored a companion bill, HF0877.

Assisted reproduction (SF0727)

• What it does: Clarifies paternity when assisted reproduction is used.
• Introduced: March 10
• Final status: Referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee but did not receive a hearing.

Simon sponsored a companion bill, HF0644.

Children certified as adults held in juvenile facilities (SF0728)

• What it does: Allows juveniles who are charged as adults to be held in secure juvenile facilities until the conclusion of criminal proceedings.
• Introduced: March 10
• Final status: The provisions were placed into HF0229, which passed May 21.

Vehicle dealer service contracts (SF0738)

• What it does: Prohibits dealers from selling a service contract from an unregistered provider.
• Introduced: March 10
• Final status: Referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee but did not receive a hearing.

Public safety, judiciary, corrections, and human rights appropriations (SF0895)

• What it does: This was the governor’s proposed budget for public safety, judiciary, corrections, and human rights. It would have set aside nearly $2 billion for various expenditures spread over 2012 and 2013. Also authorizes the acquisition of a utility and access easement for the Faribault prison.
• Introduced: March 17
• Final status: Referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee but did not receive a hearing. The Legislature passed the Republican budget proposal instead.

Building Codes (SF1049)

• What it does: Establishes a building code administrators and inspections board.
• Introduced: March 28
• Final status: Referred to the Jobs and Economic Growth Committee but did not receive a hearing. A hearing was not requested on the bill. Bills like this that are introduced during the session, and do not have a hearing requested, are frequently the topics of discussion in between sessions and will be taken up in the next session.

Simon sponsored a companion bill, HF0943.

Minnesota Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (SF1104)

What it does: Regulates  the organization and operation of limited liability companies.

• Introduced: April 7
• Final status: Referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee but did not receive a hearing. A hearing was not requested on the bill.

Simon sponsored a companion bill, HF1274.

Transportation commissioner subpoena powers (SF1219)

• What it does: Gives the commissioner of transportation subpoena powers.
• Introduced: April 18
• Final status: Passed the Transportation Committee but failed in the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

Abusive Work Environments (SF1352)

• What it does: Prohibits abusive work environments, specifies prohibited employer and employee conduct and spells out other related details.
• Introduced: May 2
• Final status: Referred to the Jobs and Economic Growth Committee but did not receive a hearing. A hearing was not requested on the bill.

Expunged Offenses (SF1375)

• What it does: Specifies that judicial expungement to be “conclusive evidence” of rehabilitation.
• Introduced: May 4
• Final status: Referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee but did not receive a hearing. A hearing was not requested on the bill.

Southwest Light-Rail Line Appropriation (SF1391)

• What it does: Appropriates $5 million to the Metropolitan Council for preliminary engineering on the Southwest Corridor light-rail line.
• Introduced: May 5
• Final status: Referred to the Capital Investment Committee but did not receive a hearing. This would have been included with a bonding bill, which the Legislature typically takes up only in even-numbered years.

Simon sponsored a companion bill, HF1696.

Freelance Court Reporters (SF1408)

• What it does: Changes disclosure requirements for court reporters.
• Introduced: May 9
• Final status: Referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee but did not receive a hearing. A hearing was not requested on the bill.

Consumer Debt (SF1440)

• What it does: Limits the time to bring a consumer debt action, specifies requires for default judgment applications, sets the bail amount for consumer debt cases.
• Introduced: May 18
• Final status: Referred to the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee but did not receive a hearing.

Tax Increment Financing (SF1459)

• What it does: Changes the determination of “substandard buildings” for development districts and renewal and renovation districts used for tax increment financing purposes. This bill arose out of disputed legal language that resulted in a court judgment against Hopkins.
• Introduced: May 21
• Final status: Referred to the Taxes Committee but did not receive a hearing. A hearing was not requested on the bill.

Simon sponsored a companion bill, HF1750.

Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-District 44A)

Bills introduced: 15

• Passed: 2

(Note: Includes companion bills listed above under Latz.)

School Closing Costs (HF0071)

• What it does: Allows schools to attribute costs of closing a school to their capital account instead of to their operating account.
• Introduced: Jan. 13
• Final status: Part of the omnibus education bill that is awaiting action by the governor.

Latz sponsored a companion bill, SF0166.

Elections (HF0165)

• What it does: Allows 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections, provided they turn 18 before the next general election.  
• Introduced: Jan. 20
• Final status: Referred to the Government Operations and Elections Committee but did not receive a hearing.

Redistricting (HF0406)

• What it does: Creates a redistricting commission consisting of five retired judges to draw the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts every 10 years. Each party would get a hand in selecting the commission — the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the speaker of the House and the minority leader of the House would each appoint one member. The four judges would then select the fifth.
• Introduced: Feb. 7
• Final status: Referred to the Redistricting Committee but did not receive a hearing.

Store-branded merchandise in liquor stores (HF0448)

• What it does: The so-called “Four Firkins bill,” would allow liquor stores to sell store-branded merchandise.
• Introduced: Feb. 10
• Final status: Made it into the House omnibus liquor package, but the Senate refused to accept it.

Latz sponsored a companion bill, SF0323.

Automatic voter registration (HF0510)

• What it does: Automatically registers residents to vote when they apply for a driver’s license, instruction permit or identification card. Residents could opt out. Applications would be checked to determine if the applicant is ineligible to vote.
• Introduced: Feb. 14
• Final status: Referred to the Government Operations and Elections Committee but did not receive a hearing.

Election fraud penalties (HF0700)

• What it does: Specifies criminal penalties for elections violations.
• Introduced: Feb. 24
• Final status: Referred to the Government Operations and Elections Committee but did not receive a hearing.

Drug and alcohol testing (HF1422)

• What it does: Changes drug and alcohol testing rules for professional athletes.
• Introduced: April 11
• Final status: The governor has already signed it into law.

Voting records (HF1532)

• What it does: Requires the secretary of state to compare court data to voting registration records.
• Introduced: April 18
• Final status: Passed the Government Operations and Elections Committee but stalled in the Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee.