Brown Week in Review
Brown Week in Review
Dave Brown
Proud to Serve Senate District 15
V O L U M E 3 W E E K L Y
APRIL 8, 2013 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
U P D A T E
I S S U E
Budget Health and Human Services Electronic Pull Tabs Judiciary Environment Finance
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STAY IN TOUCH E-MAIL [email protected] Phone 651.296.8075 TWITTER @SenDaveBrown ONLINE senate.mn/senatorbrown In Touch With Page
JUDICIARY
On Thursday, the Judiciary Budget Division heard SF 235, which mostly contains pieces of gun crime enforcement legislation that have fiscal costs. The provisions are mainly those from either Sen. Ortman or the Hennepin County Attorney's office, and the majority of the provisions seek to enforce current law, including requiring prompt reporting of data in an electronic format to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) that is already required under current Minnesota and federal law so that law enforcement can trust that the current background check system properly contains accurate data about dangerous felons and people with mental illness. The bill also includes provisions related to keeping guns out of the hands of repeat, violent crime offenders. The bill passed the committee, and now heads to the full Finance Committee for a vote on the policy, while it is expected that the fiscal cost will be tracked in the Senate's Omnibus Judiciary Budget bill.
ENVIRONMENT
The Environment Budget Division met on Wednesday and Thursday to hear more than $300 million in bonding requests including a number of regional civic centers as well as trail projects across the state. All proposals were held over for possible recommendation to the Capitol Investment Committee. Please let me know if you are in favor of or opposed to the state borrowing more money to fund these types of projects. The Senate Omnibus Energy Bill - SF 901 has major changes to state policy concerning the future of energy production in Minnesota. You may read the bill here. Please pay attention to Article 1 of the bill. Of particular concern is its language stating the desire to end the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) in power generation, heating and cooling, industry and transportation by 2050.
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S T A Y E-MAIL
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T O U CH
[email protected] Phone 651.296.8075 TWITTER @SenDaveBrown ONLINE senate.mn/senatorbrown In Touch With Page