Capitol Letter for March 8, 2021
The Capitol Letter™ is a recurring publication that provides reports from LWV Minnesota volunteer Observer Corps and Lobby Corps members on what is happening in the current legislative session.
Redistricting
SF1715 / HF1884
Redistricting principles for legislative and congressional districts established.
Position: Strong Oppose
Notes from LWV Minnesota: This bill would establish in statute a set of criteria for redistricting plans. This legislation prioritizes compactness very highly and explicitly deprioritizes minority representation. Thus, this legislation attempts to entrench power for rural white voters and dilute the power of suburban and urban voters, particularly voters of color.
Last Action for Senate File: Referred to State Government Finance and Policy and Elections
Action Date for Senate File: 03/04/2021
Last Action for House File: Introduction and first reading, referred to Redistricting
Action Date: 03/04/2021
More Info on Senate File: https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1337080
More Info on House File: https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1338414
HF662 / SF1187
Redistricting; incarcerated person allocation required based on last known address.
Position: Strong Support
Notes from LWV Minnesota: Allocates incarcerated persons in their last known address before incarceration for redistricting purposes, eliminating prison gerrymandering in Minnesota.
House File Last Action: Committee report, to adopt and re-refer to Redistricting
House File Action Date: 03/04/2021
More Info on House File: https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1302035
Senate File Last Action: Referred to Redistricting
Senate File Action Date: 02/18/2021
Senate File More Info: https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1318994
Unnumbered Legislation
LWVMN has author drafted legislation on redistricting and submitted it to key legislators for review and comment. We will provide more detailed updates once we are able.
Voting and Elections
HF9
Voter registration related provisions modified; absentee voting provisions modified; system of early voting established; restriction on the number of voters an individual may assist on election day eliminated; voting instructions, sample ballots, and election judges required to be multilingual; standards governing access to Help America Vote Act funds modified; intimidation, deceptive practices, and interference with voter registration and voting regulated; campaign finance provisions modified;
Position: Support
Notes from LWV Minnesota: This legislation is a large democracy reform package with several important and good provisions, including the following:
Implements Automatic Voter Registration and pre-registration for 16 and 17 year olds.
Restores the right to vote to individuals with past felony convictions when they are living in their communities.
Implements true early voting, ballot drop boxes, and language-access requirements for ballots.
Bans voter intimidation, harassment of election officials, and deceptive election practices.
Ensures Help America Vote Act funds are swiftly appropriated for state and local infrastructure use.
Replaces the Political Contribution Refund program with a modernized "Democracy Dollars" coupon system with small donor matching.
Closes dark money loopholes and requires disclosure of independent expenditure funders so they cannot hide behind shell corporations.
Establishes some transparency requirements for redistricting.
Sandy Grandmaison from LWV Duluth submitted testimony in support of the bill, speaking specifically on voter and election judge intimidation. You can find a copy of her testimony here.
Read an article on the first hearing this legislation had.
Read a summary from our Policy Coordinator, Cassidy Pelkey, here.
Last Action: Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to Higher Education Finance and Policy
Action Date: 03/04/2021
HF876
Right to vote restored to individual convicted of a felony upon completion of any term of incarceration imposed and executed by a court for the offense.
Position: Strong Support
Notes from LWV Minnesota: Restoration of voting rights to individuals with a past felony conviction. LWVMN is working with the Restore the Vote MN Coalition on this legislation.
Last Action: Second Reading
Action Date: 03/04/2021
HF1160
Elections administration technical and policy changes made relating to voting, voter registration, polling places, ballots, recounts, contests, candidates, absentee voting, mail balloting, canvassing, the presidential nomination primary, and various other election-related provisions.
Position: Support
Notes from LWV Minnesota: Technical corrections bill, noncontroversial.
Last Action: Author added Boldon
Action Date: 03/01/2021
HF1375
Elections; ranked-choice voting adoption by jurisdictions authorized; adoption, implementation, and use of ranked-choice voting procedures established; electronic voting systems with reallocation feature use by municipalities allowed; and rulemaking authorized.
Position: Monitor
Notes from LWV Minnesota: Establishes ranked choice voting for federal, statewide, and state legislative, and elections. Authorizes local governments to adopt ranked choice voting for local elections.
Last Action: Authors added Mariani and Wolgamott
Action Date: 03/01/2021
SF173
Election voter registration photo ID requirement; voter identification care creation; provisional ballots establishment; appropriations
Position: Strong Oppose
Notes from LWV Minnesota: Establishes voter ID and provisional ballots in Minnesota, which would significantly disenfranchise young voters, elderly voters, and voters of color.
Read a discussion of this bill and HF9 from our Policy Coordinator, Cassidy Pelkey, here.
Last Action: Second Reading
Action Date: 02/25/2021
Money in Politics
SF409
Political activities by foreign-influenced corporations prohibition, certificate of compliance, and candidate contributions acceptance prohibition.
Position: Support
Last Action: Authors added Marty; Rest
Action Date: 02/01/2021
Civics Education
HF562
Social studies graduation requirement modified.
Position: Support
Notes from LWV Minnesota: Would require high school students to take a credit-bearing course of citizenship and government as part of the social studies credits needed to graduate; currently students are only required to take 3.5 credits of any social studies. This means that some students might graduate, for example, taking history, geography, and economics, but have no functional understanding of how federal, state, or local government actually works in modern times.
Submitted by Lisa Larson, LWV White Bear Lake Area member:
On Monday, February 22, 2021, the Minnesota House Education Policy Committee heard Representative Dean Urdahl’s civics education bill, HF 562 (SF 1365), requiring students, at a minimum, to take a credit-bearing civics course in 11th or 12th grade when they are close to becoming first-time voters. LWV WBLA member Lisa Larson testified on behalf of LWVMN in support of the bill (watch the video at the one-hour mark or read the written testimony).
Lisa briefly presented four arguments to the committee:
Civics education is critical to strengthening American democracy.
A long-standing tension exists in schools between educating students to be skilled workers and being responsible citizens; both goals are important and must work in tandem.
Civics instruction is not consistent statewide.
Civic literacy is key to transforming knowledge into practice.
Lisa concluded by saying: "A civics education is important because it profoundly affects the role of citizens and citizens’ ability to participate in a democracy; and improving civics education should have nonpartisan support across the political spectrum."
After the hearing, the committee chair, Representative Ruth Richardson, laid the bill over for “possible inclusion” in the committee’s omnibus education policy bill. The committee will pass its omnibus policy bill to the House Education Finance Committee, where a larger K-12 omnibus finance and policy bill is compiled and then, ultimately, sent to the House Floor for all House members to consider. The Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee, chaired by Senator Roger Chamberlain, has not yet heard either SF 996 or SF 1365, the two companions to Representative Urdahl’s civics education bills, HF 562 and HF 705. HF 705/SF 996 also make the currently required statewide civics test optional.
Last Action: Author added Scott
Action Date: 03/01/2021
Environment / Climate
HF10
Clean Energy First Act.
Notes from LWV Minnesota:
Last Action: Author added Carlson.
Action Date: 03/01/2021
More Info: LWVMN Observer Corps member Janice McLuckie reports on the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy hearing on 02/11/2021:
Kevin Pranis of Laborers International Union North America, Adam Duininck of Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, Jessica Tritsch of Sierra Club testified in favor of the bill.
Adam Hanson of Associated Builders and Contractors testified regarding non-union jobs. Thor Underdahl of Minnesota Power expressing general support for the bill and a willingness to work further with the authors.
Rob Dunnette of Minnesota Resource Recover Association regarding effects on solid waste combustion. Rick Evans of Xcel with concerns over definitions of carbon emissions and ownership of assets. Chris McConn of Prairie Lake Municipal Solid Waste Authority with concerns about investment in processing solid waste on the part of small communities.
Joel Johnson of Minnkota Power Cooperative concerned about regulations and the definition of carbon capture.
Multiple amendments were offered by Republican committee members, most but not all of which were voted down. Multiple Republican committee members were called out of order for going over their time and interrupting the voting process.
League members are working with our coalition partner Minnesota Environmental Partnership on this piece of legislation.
More information on the bill: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?view=chrono&f=HF0010&y=2021&ssn=0&b=house#actions (Bill, as amended, has not yet been posted.) Find more links to written testimony and hearing minutes here: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/Committees/minutes/92008/88856