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waterfrozen

05/16/17 3:32 PM

#6525 RE: Greg444 #6524

Dayton is a lame duck and should be forced to compromise. Is that an oxymoron? Anyhoo, His party lost both houses. If he just wants to wave his veto pen around, so be it. Shut it down.

Here's the thing. I want safe, responsible mining. I do not want fly by night operations coming in and fleecing the taxpayers either while at the same time doing environmental harm. Right now there is no smart middle ground--its pure excess done to discourage companies from even trying. PLM and Glencore have called their bluff and are going for broke. We'll see if the political winds carry them to the finish line.

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Greg444

05/16/17 3:35 PM

#6526 RE: Greg444 #6524

I was thinking these proposed bills should be public information and should be made available somewhere?
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Connsm

05/17/17 2:00 PM

#6538 RE: Greg444 #6524

One of government’s core roles is to ensure public safety, the governor concluded. “This bill fails to do so.”
What’s in, what’s out
Despite the governor’s bad review, the bill was a product of substantial compromise by its conference committee. That was particularly true on the part of the House, which despite Dayton’s objections, packed the bill with policy provisions. (The Senate version avoided policy.)
Deleted policies from the bill passed Monday include:
A requirement for legislative approval for any modifications to sentencing guidelines.
Increased penalties and required registration for some predatory offenses.
Enhanced penalties for multiple driving-after-revocation offenses.
A plan to reform prison segregation unit guidelines.
A new state terrorism criminal statute.
Other key policy and finance provisions were retained in the bill that passed the House and Senate Monday. Those included:
$13 million in 2018-19 for police training; funding for that program would continue through 2021.
Two new judges, one each for the 7th and 9th judicial districts.
An $8.6 million reduction in civil filing fees. A personal priority of Senate author Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), this reform was dropped from the bill at one time, but was reinstated in conference committee.
A “seat-belt gag rule” repeal, which would allow juries to consider whether seat belts were in use during traffic accidents as they determine fault.
A reduction in civil-judgment interest rates for both pre- and post-judgment awards.
Enhanced criminal penalties—boosting charges from misdemeanors to gross misdemeanors—for protesters caught blocking freeways and airport entrances.
The House passed the bill Monday 75-54. In the Senate, it passed 34-32.
Mission possible
Dayton and legislative leaders reached accord on just a single budget bill—agriculture—on Tuesday. But Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said the two sides likely would move toward agreement on several smaller bills—higher education, economic development and environment—as early as Wednesday.
“That would make the possibility of us finishing on time more likely,” he said. A public safety budget agreement likely would take a little longer, he said.
Roy, who attended the Tuesday afternoon press conference at which GOP leaders released their offer, said he was encouraged.
“I would be cautiously optimistic,” Roy said. “It certainly seems that leadership is interested in getting this package done.”
However, Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, the Taxes Committee chair, was less than impressed when shown Dayton’s latest tax-cut pitch Tuesday. “It’s a little short,” he said.
Negotiations were scheduled to pick up after this newspaper’s deadline on Wednesday morning, according to Sam Fettig, Dayton’s press secretary.
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