Committee deadlines near in Legislature

With the legislative calendar ticking and deadlines approaching, the past few weeks at the Senate have been busy with Committees hearing bills before deadlines.
Each year, the Legislature establishes deadlines for committee action on bills to winnow the list of topics dealt with that year. There is no yearly deadline for the introduction of bills. However, the Legislature establishes deadlines for committee action on bills. Committee deadlines are announced during the first half of a session.
The deadlines do not apply to the Senate committees on Capital Investment, Finance, Taxes, or Rules and Administration.
The first deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin.
The second deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills or companions of bills that met the first deadline in the other house.
The third deadline is for committees to act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.
Last Friday was both the first and second deadline for Committees. Learn more about committee deadlines on the Senate webpage.
Bipartisan Accident Prevention Course, Auto Insurance Discount
On Wednesday, March 20th, the Senate Transportation Committee heard my bill, SF-727, to change the required hours for senior accident prevention courses from 8 hours to 4 hours, without compromising the curriculum. Safe driving is a challenge for drivers of all ages; however, our aging populations in Minnesota are more likely to experience vision, hearing, or other impairments. Safe driving courses for seniors share road safety strategies, updated Minnesota traffic laws, and other information to help older Minnesotans navigate our roads.
What is the Current Law?
Minnesota auto insurers must offer a 10% discount to drivers 55 or older who:
have taken an 8-hour Accident Prevention Course
followed by 4-hour refresher course every three years to continue the discount.
Survey findings showed that:
Over 9 in 10 (93%) seniors reported changing at least one key driving behavior for the better due to what they learned in the safe driving course.
Over eight in 10 participants (83%) felt that information they learned in the course prevented them from being in a crash.
Over seven in 10 (73%) participants believe their driving skills improved because of taking the course, and 84% were likely to recommend the safe driving course.
What is the Problem?
Course participation numbers have declined and suffered in states with 8-hour courses. Yet the number of seniors has increased.
As a result, many at-risk residents are not getting the information about state traffic laws, driving techniques, and strategies they need to be safer on the roads.
With traffic deaths rising at the highest since 2005 and traffic congestion at an all-time high, one way to keep older drivers on the road safely is to maintain their driving skills through education.
How does Minnesota law compare?
Currently, 18 states allow a course length of 4 hours
9 states also mandate insurance discounts for 4-hour courses.
Thank you to my constituent, Dave Von, and AARP driver safety instructor, Cheryl Salo, for testifying in committee. They shared the importance of ensuring our senior drivers have accessible classes for continued driver safety.
CTE Program Expansion
The Minnesota Senate Taxes Committee on Wednesday heard bipartisan legislation that will expand the application of the K-12 education credit to include expenses for career and technical education (CTE) programs.
Preparing students for successful careers is crucial for Minnesota’s future prosperity. Too often, amazing hands-on training opportunities like those provided by Future Farmers of America (FFA), SkillsUSA, and others get overlooked due to their non-traditional settings outside of regular schools.
By extending the K-12 education tax credit to cover these programs, we can make them accessible to more and more engaged students. The end result is a win-win-win: students gain a pathway to well-paying jobs, businesses acquire the talented employees they need, and families receive tax relief for prioritizing career readiness.
I was glad to co-author this bipartisan bill and great to see it moving in the Senate. It will make amazing career training programs more accessible and affordable for MN families!
Transparencyin Minnesota State Government
Minnesota taxpayers fund numerous state grants such as The MN Job Creation Fund, MN Investment Fund, Launch MN Grants, Job Training Programs, etc., and we expect every state dollar to accomplish the purpose for which it was allocated. The fact is, we need more transparency and accountability in state grant programs. That is why I offered an amendment in the Jobs Committee to require large state grant recipients to submit a final report to the Legislature demonstrating the effectiveness of the grant and a summary of how the funds were used, in a final report to the Legislature within 90 days. It is a good-government, commonsense proposal that will restore some faith in the system.
 
Carla Nelson represents Dodge County and portions of Olmsted County in the Minnesota State Senate.