Legislative session nearing conclusion

Senator charged with 1^stdegree felony burglary

As many of you know, Democrat Senator Mitchell was charged for felony burglary. Courts will adjudicate the culpability and legal consequences for Sen. Mitchell’s actions which led to an indictment for first degree felony burglary, but the Senate has the responsibility to determine if Sen. Mitchell has broken Senate Rules, which require members to adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct. See Senate Rule 56.

My colleagues and I filed an ethics complaint on April 24 thus requiring the Senate Rules Committee to begin an investigation to determine if there was probable cause that Sen. Mitchell violated Senate Rule 56. The majority did not show any intention of promptly moving forward with the investigation. This lack of action prompted me to make a motion to prohibit senators charged with violent crimes from voting on Senate business until the Senate ethics investigation is concluded. My motion failed by one vote, with Sen. Mitchell voting nay. This appears to be a conflict of interest to me.

The Senate chamber is divided with 34 Democrats and 33 Republicans. It is disappointing that Senate Democrat leaders have chosen to bring controversial and purely partisan bills to the Senate floor – bills that require Sen. Mitchell’s 34th Democrat vote to pass. A Senator indicted for a violent felony offense should not be voting until the Senate ethics committee determines how or whether to discipline such a member. I have joined my colleagues in filing a protest and dissent letter regarding Sen. Mitchell’s votes prior to the Ethics Committee investigation.

If this happened to a person in any other role, they would be put on administrative leave with potential immediate disciplinary action based upon the findings.

Sen. Mitchell’s conduct needs to be thoroughly investigated quickly and efficiently.

For more information, watch my interview with Mark Wasson.

Two weeks later, the majority finally began the ethics investigation to determine if there is probable cause that Senator Miller broke Senate Rule 56. Senator Mitchell and her attorneys pleaded the Fifth amendment and the Senator remained silent. The Ethics Committee will return June 12, 2024.

Compacts

Modernizing healthcare licensing through compacts is crucial for addressing shortages in healthcare professionals. Compact members attain a compact license meeting national and state training and safety requirements.

Compacts will help facilitate healthcare professionals’ mobility across states, improving access to care.

Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact

I am glad to report my legislation that allows Minnesota to join the interstate Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact passed on the Senate floor as part of the Health-Related Occupation Licensing Bill (HF4247) and is on its way to a conference committee with the House.

The Minnesota Dental Association, The Minnesota Dental Hygienists Association, and The Association of Dental Support Organizations voiced their support in joining the interstate compact. The compact allows dentists or dental hygienists to achieve one license to practice in other compact member states. Entering Minnesota into the Dental Hygienist Compact will improve Minnesota’s dental workforce challenges. For patients, it means better access to dental care – especially in areas where there is a shortage of providers.

Nurse Licensure Compact

Minnesota has a severe shortage of nurses which is expected to get significantly worse. This week, I proposed two amendments to the Health Related Occupation Licensing Bill (HF4247) that would allow Minnesota to join the National Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) enables nurses to secure one license for working in multiple states, facilitating nurses from other NLC states to address shortages in Minnesota. Forty-one other states are currently part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. 80 % of Minnesota nurses want to join the NLC. Telehealth and patient mobility are also driving the need for the NLC. When staffing needs are addressed, patient needs are better addressed. Unfortunately, my NLC amendment was voted down. I will continue to advocate for Minnesota to enter the NLC.

P-TECH

In 2017, when Education chair, I authored the innovative, nation leading P-TECH program. Rochester P-TECH is a public private partnership with the Rochester Public Schools, Rochester Community Technical College and industry partners IBM and Mayo Clinic. The legislation passed and is in the state base budget, receiving ongoing funding. Rochester P-TECH is a resounding success with pathways in IT and Health Care. Rochester P-TECH allows for the simultaneous pursuit of a high school diploma and a college degree, with mentorship from industry experts, paid apprenticeships, and first access to job opportunities.

I remain fully committed to continued funding P- TECH. I co-sponsored Sen. Boldon’s 2024 P-TECH bill. An amendment was added that slashed Rochester P-TECH funding now and eliminated eligibility for future funding! I withdrew my support for the amended bill. Senator Boldon’s amended P-TECH language was in front of the Senate on May 7. My amendment to restore funding and continued eligibility for the groundbreaking Rochester P-TECH program was defeated. You can view the voting board here. P-TECH is an extremely successful and important program. I am continuing conversations with Sen. Boldon and the Education Chair to try to rectify this error in the Education Conference Committee. We should not be undercutting this nation-leading program! I will continue to advocate for the restoration of Rocester P-TECH eligibility and funding.

Junk Fees Bill

Many Minnesotans have experienced the frustration of expecting to pay one price for an item, only to see the final price skyrocket because of hidden ‘junk fees. I was glad to support and see the Senate pass the elimination of deceptive trade practices and junk fees in consumer transactions. This will allow consumers to make better price comparisons as they stretch their inflation ravaged dollars. Minnesotans deserve to know the true cost of what they are buying without being surprised by hidden fees at the point of sale. It’s that simple.

Without junk fees, consumers will be closer to knowing the true price of a product. Ironically the government exempted itself from transparency in including the cost of taxes imposed by the government.

Cannabis Amendments

2 Problems:

1. As more and more adults choose to self-medicate with cannabis, there has been an increase in reports of serious side effects. There is no existing comprehensive education program in current law for adults choosing to use cannabis.

2. Businesses must provide consumers with factual information at the time of the time of the sale, but the information that is required isn’t specified.

Amendments:

I offered four common sense amendments to the omnibus Cannabis bill.

SF 4790: Consumers must be provided with a medical warning label at the time of sale.

SF 5054: Add a clinical pharmacist to the Cannabis Advisory Council.

SF 5078: Prohibit Cannabis advertisements that promote self-medication, underage consumption, and co-consumption with alcohol.

SF 5079: Expedite Cannabis education programs aimed at educating students about the harms of cannabis use before retail cannabis sales begin including programs that discourage substance use.

Each of these provisions is intended to protect the consumer, and minimize the inappropriate use of cannabis. All passed with bipartisan support.

Silver Lake Dam

The proposed reconstruction of the Silver Lake Dam brought an influx of local controversy and protests. City council members told me they were not notified that the City was requesting funds for the Silver Lake Dam project from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council (LSOH) Council. In addition I’ve heard from many constituents who are opposed to Silver Lake Dam removal or alteration. The LSOHC seeks to recommend non-controversial projects and was aware of the local controversy when it included the Silver Lake Dam in its recommendations for LSOHC funding. These recommendations for funding are part of the Environment Bill.

How Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council works:

Government entities or nonprofits submit projects to the LSOH Council for funding.

The LSOH Council submits its recommendations for project funding to the Legislature for approval.

Reimbursement of approved projects will be awarded upon completion of a project and a Support Resolution from the entity receiving funding.

In an effort to keep LSOH fund from such local controversy in the future, and after visiting with LSOH Council members and staff, I proposed an amendment to require the Support Resolution ACCOMPANY the REQUEST for LSOH funding.

I offered a second amendment that allowed the Silver Lake Dam project funding to become official the day after the city officially approves of it.