Minnesota House of Representatives
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February 17, 1989 Volume6 Number8 Minnesota House of Representatives Budget deficiencies ----llilll programs associated with last summer's Year of the City drought, and from increased attendance at Five state departments presented state parks. The Legislature allocates Testimony for the governor's Year of budget deficiency requests to the State division funds from a dedicated fund, the City program attracted more than 200 Departm~nts Division of Appropriations while the fees generated from attendance people Feb. 14 to the Economic Develop Feb. 15. Deficiency requests for all state go into the state general fund. The ment Committee's Community Stabiliza departments amount to $6.8 million, with division wants the Legislature to use the tion and Development Division hearing all but $600,000 coming from the general extra fee money to clear its deficiency. room. fund. Chair Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) Fifteen witnesses from Twin Cities and Department representatives say the says this type of deficiency is cost Duluth neighborhoods talked about the deficiencies occur for a number of effective because it reallocates funds the conditions of inner city communities. reasons. Some departments take on activity creates. They addressed issues from childhood activities for which they do not budget; The Attorney General's Office says health and education to crime and drugs. others have cost overruns and unantici deficiencies in that office result from the Speakers described inner city neighbor pated maintenance costs. state's involvement in major new hoods as culturally and economically For example, the Department of litigation. His office sometimes contracts diverse. High rents cause many residents Natural Resources (DNR) Parks and with local or specialty attorneys to to move often. These issues affect urban Recreation Division says their deficiency provide the needed expertise for a case. communities' economic development. comes from firefighting and relief Most witnesses say they're concerned ~=~=~==~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=~=~~ about rehabilitating houses, urban . economic development, and encouraging :• pride and ownership in communities. Many offer solutions for improving urban •.. neighborhoods, focusing on community networks and communications. The agenda for the Year of the City hearing included guided tours through St. •• Paul and Minneapolis neighborhoods for senators and representatives. Editor's Note: The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Office hosted "Media Day on the Hill'' on Feb. 16. For this reason, this issue of Session Weekly covers House activities through Wednesday, Feb. 15. Session Weekly will include the activities of Thursday, Feb. 16 in next week's issue. Nothing herein ls admissible as legal proof of legislative intent. Wild animals ------- bill's emphasis on outpatient and kind of treatment or rehabilitation," will preventive services. Musicant suggests better protect the public, according to The wild and exotic animal bill went limiting catastrophic costs and placing a Humphrey. through a transformation Feb. 14 in the priority on preventive and primary care, He says the state should offer a broader Environment and Natural Resources if legislators need to trim service package range of services to victims of sexual Committee. The committee removed the costs. violence and set up educational programs bill's original language and amended in The MNA supports direct reimburse that aim to prevent sexual violence in the new language. ment to nurse practitioners, midwives, first place. The bill's purpose remains to protect and registered nurse anesthetists for HF315 (Vellenga, DFL-St. Paul) would humans, animals, and the environment medically necessary services, such as put many of Humphrey's recommenda from harm or damages that wild or exotic prenatal and well-baby care, screenings, tions into law. Some lawmakers say the animals may cause. and yearly disease checkups. These bill should also allow judges to sentence Opponents criticized the original bill as nurses often charge less than physicians, repeat violent offenders to life in prison being too general because all exotic or says Musicant, and studies show that without parole. wild animals would have fallen under its direct billing actually decreases the The division plans to give the bill a regulation requirements. Some opponents charges for nursing services. formal hearing Feb. 22. said many exotic and wild animals would never survive a Minnesota winter and would not be a threat to humans, animals, Contractors -------- or the environment. A bill giving contractors easier access The amended bill would require to public jobs gained support in the Local owners of wild and exotic animals to Government and Metropolitan Affairs report them to local authorities. It would Committee Feb. 14. Author Rep. Kath exempt llama, American bison, and leen Blatz (IR-Bloomington) says HF279 livestock. would give contractors the opportunity to The bill would require public meetings use irrevocable bank letters of credit to determine the scope of problem wild instead of performance bonds when animals, and which ones should be bidding for public work. regulated. The list would t_ell local Blatz says letters of credit help small authorities where wild and exotic animals contractors, who can't afford bonds, to are, in the event of injuries or damages. bid for jobs with their bank's support. Owners who don't report their wild and The local unit of government is protected exotic animals to authorities would be as well, because creditors have an easier guilty of a petty misdemeanor under the time collecting on bank letters. Both amended bill. letters of credit and performance bonds Author Rep. Joe Quinn (DFL-Coon are subject to identical legal require Rapids) says pet store owners and ments. breeders probably wouldn't be regulated, The committee recommended the bill since they would be regulated under Ellen Foley, sister of Mary Foley who was to pass. game and fish laws. murdered in her employer's parking ramp last summer, testified at a meeting of the Judiciary Committee's Criminal Justice 1111111111111 1111111 Nurses Association -----111111 Division Feb. 15. Law enforcement ---- Can nurses provide the same services "Minnesota law enforcement education as primary care physicians? Recent Sexual violence has a favorable national reputation," says studies say they can, according to William Carter, executive director of the Minnesota Attorney General Hubert Gretchen Musicant, a registered nurse. Peace Officers Standards and Training Humphrey III presented his final report Nurses can perform 70 to 90 percent of Board (POST). Carter testified at the on preventing sexual violence against the functions doctors perform, she says, Appropriations Committee Agriculture, women to legislators Feb. 15. The report and they're better able to give preventive Transportation and Semi-State Division is the work of a task force Humphrey care and communicate with patients. hearing Feb. 14. created last year to study the problem. Musicant spoke for the Minnesota Carter says the POST Board has a Humphrey told members of the Nursing Association (MNA), at a Health strong commitment to recruiting women Judiciary Committee's Criminal Justice and Human Services Committee meeting and minorities. Of the 7 ,000 peace Division that sex offenders need longer Feb. 14. She told legislators that the officers in Minnesota, 5 percent are sentences. "Let's put the rapist behind MNA supports Healthspan, a bill that women, and 1 to 2 percent are people of bars and keep him there. Longer and would provide affordable health care color. tougher sentences, particularly for those coverage for Minnesotans. They like the Competition among recruiters for who are repeat and violent offenders and women and minorities is tough, Carter who do not seem amenable at all to any 2 SESSION WEEKLY/February 17, 1989 says. There are several theories about 13 that she believes the Legislature's why it's difficult to recruit women and recent failure to pass a mandatory minorities into law enforcement careers. motorcycle helmet law will increase the Two theories pertinent to Minnesota are number of accidents resulting in brain that: 1) mentors are lacking in law injuries in Minnesota. enforcement for minorities, and 2) She says that nearly two million people recruiters compete with corporations that in the United states have suffered cultivate minority interest. Corporations traumatic brain injury; two-thirds of them offer scholarships, grants, and internships are under age 30. Many of these people that influence minority graduates to favor were articulate and independent before corporate rather than law enforcement their accidents, and now need help to careers. reach their maximum potential for inde Other factors include cultural differ pendence. Independence, Hands says, ences, small population bases, lack of means employment. encouragement from career counselors, Brain injured people want to work, she and the education differences between says, and the Department of Jobs and minorities and whites. Training (DJT) Division of Rehabilitation "Recent national research indicates that Services provides the basic service that college is not a deterrent to the recruit puts them back to work. ment of minorities into law enforcement, The DJT wants $7 million for the next and that minorities are better educated biennium to expand basic vocational than their white counterparts when they rehabilitation services and client services.