May19, 1989 Volume6 Number21 Minnesota House of Representatives On Syttende Mai, the Norwegian Independence Day, thirty-five members of the Red Wing Swedish (yes, Swedish) Singers gave a brief performance for House members from the House Gallery. three years, and school districts to recycle used paper. It would allow counties to A bill that aims to have each Minne­ use special levies to generate matching sota county recycling at least 25 percent funds and impose a 6 percent surcharge of its annual solid waste by July 1993, on solid waste collection and disposal received unanimous approval from the services. Appropriations Committee May 17. Major spending items in the bill HF417 (Munger, DFL-Duluth) would include: appropriate nearly $37 million during the .. nearly $28 million to help counties meet next two years to, among other things, recycling requirements; establish plans and programs to reduce " $1.8 million for a problem materials and recycle waste, develop markets for program; and recyclables, address special problems that " $1. 7 million for market development materials cause in the waste stream, and programs. educate the public on proper waste The full House passed the bill May 18. management. The bill also would direct state offices in the metropolitan area to recycle at least 25 percent of their waste within the next Groundwater protection Utilities Commission to the Department Senate measure would call for three of Public Service. separate agencies. The comprehensive groundwater Under the current cold weather rule, Voters last November authorized the protection bill declares ground"':ater a utilities must continue to provide heating Legislature to enact a lottery. The state's precious natural resource on which service between Oct. 15 and April 15, share of lottery proceeds would go to an Minnesotans depend. The bill would set even if customers have not paid any environmental and natural resources trust goals for maintaining groundwater in its portion of their bills. This rule causes fund (which voters also approved), and to natural condition for the use of future problems, according to Dawkins, because rural economic development and re­ generations. people fall far behind on bill payments, search. The House amended SF262 (House and can't catch up. Utilities may not author: Munger, DFL-Duluth) May 17 reconnect those customers the following and approved it for final passage. On October and they may end up homeless. May 18, however, the Senate refused to The bill would require customers to Veterans home ---1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 concur with House amendments, and sent pay at least 10 percent of their gross . Luverne, a southwestern Minnesota the bill to a conference committee. income to the utilities during the heatmg city targeted for a new veterans home, The bill includes provisions that season, and would prohibit utilities from received another nod of approval from would: cutting off service to anyone who has lawmakers at an Appropriations Commit­ " establish guidelines for best manage­ paid that portion of their bill. tee meeting May 17. The General ment practices to protect groundwater Another change to the cold weather Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Gaming and the environment; rule would extend eligibility for energy Committee also had recommended the "designate five state agencies as regulat­ protection to those earning less than 185 city earlier this session. ing authorities charged with adopting and percent of the federal poverty level. In HF723 (Steensma, DFL-Luverne) enforcing water resource protection return, those who receive protection from would permit construction of a 60-bed requirements; the cold weather rule would have to (minimum) skilled nursing care home .. " set guidelines for fertilizer, chemical, accept budget and conservation counsel­ Luverne, about 200 miles from the Twm pesticide, and compost use; product ing and weatherize their homes, says Cities, is closer to a federal Veterans labeling; hazardous waste; civic and Dawkins. Administration (VA) medical center than criminal penalties; education; licenses; The bill now goes to the Senate for any other site the Department of Admini­ fees; and investigations; and further consideration. .. provide for sealing abandoned wells. stration (DOA) considered, according to This bill belongs to everybody, says information the committee received. author Rep. Willard Munger. It will The DOA also considered sites in protect the groundwater supply for future Lottery --------- Fergus Falls, St. Peter, Willmar, and generations. Worthington. The fate of Minnesota's lottery lies in Construction costs would be $3. 7 the hands of a House-Senate conference million for a 60-bed facility, and $5.6 committee. million for a 120-bed facility, according Low-income energy needs --· On May 15, the House approved its to Steve Perkins, Luverne city adminis­ version of the lottery, HF66 (Quinn, The House passed a bill May 17 that trator. DFL-Coon Rapids), on a 98-33 vote. The addresses low-income energy needs and Over the next two years, the federal Senate approved its version May 14. energy conservation in Minnesota. government would pay 65 percent of the The House bill would create a lottery HF1532 would modify the "cold weather cost and the city would pay 35 percent. division within a newly created state rule" which prevents utilities from The state would not pay any construction department of gaming. The department disconnecting heating services during costs during that time; however, lawmak­ would oversee the lottery, charitable cold weather months if customers fail to ers appropriated funds to study the need gambling, and horse racing. The bill pay for the service. for more such homes. would also allow both instant winner "This bill addresses some of the energy Besides proximity to a VA facility, scratch-off tickets and on-line computer­ needs of low-income Minnesotans, and at factors that determined the new facility ized lotto games. the same time has intended benefits for site include: availability of local medical A 10-member conference committee all Minnesotans, including lowered utility resources (hospitals, doctors, and nurses); will settle differences between the two rates, increased conservation of energy, availability of local funding and staff; versions. One difference concerns prize streamlining state government, and and site potential. limits. The House version would not set improving the environment," says author The full House passed the bill May 18. limits; the Senate version would set a $10 Rep. Andy Dawkins (DFL-St. Paul). million limit on individual prizes. Also, According to Dawkins, the bill would the House bill would create a department reform the cold weather rule and transfer of gaming and three divisions, while the responsibility for the state's conserva~on improvement programs from the Pubhc 2 SESSION WEEKLY/May 19, 1989 111111111111111111111111111111111111 Check cashing - - basketball, boxing, volleyball, gymnas­ an annual housing impact report when 10 tics, table tennis, and wheelchair sports, or more units of low-income housing are The commissioner of commerce would he said. displaced. Rep. Donald Frerichs (IR­ oversee the check-cashing service Even so, the House removed a provi­ Rochester) successfully offered another industry if SF353 (House author: sion that would have restricted the amendment that would require only cities Jefferson, DFL-Mpls) becomes law. commission's study to the St. Paul area. of the first class (Minneapolis, St. Paul, On May 17, the House approved the "They've apparently already deter­ Duluth) to prepare housing impact measure 133-0. The bill would regulate mined a location," says Rep. Tony Onnen reports. businesses that exist to cash checks, not (IR-Cokato). "But I'd feel more comfort­ Since the House and Senate passed businesses for which check cashing is able if they had an opportunity to look at different versions of the housing bill, a incidental. other places (outside the metropolitan conference committee will attempt to Under the bill, business operators area)." reach a compromise. would have to obtain licenses from the commissioner. The bill would require applicants to file their fee schedules for check cashing services and would Drivers' licenses, plates --- prohibit currency exchanges from Working capital fund 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111 cparging excessive rates for cashing Certain minority business enterprises Provisional drivers' licenses may be in checks. It also lists criteria - such as would have an opportunity to get the the black a while longer. Two years previous rate schedules, amount of risk loans they need for short-term capital longer in fact. involved in the type of check cashed, or under HF42 (McLaughlin, DFL-Mpls), Drivers under age 21 would have to the reasonableness of profit - to help the a bill the House passed unanimously use a provisional driver's license under commissioner to determine whether May 16. SF139 (House author: A. Johnson, DFL­ proposed rates are unreasonable. The bill would permit state agencies Spring Lake Park), a bill the House and local jurisdictions to make grants to a passed May 16. guaranty fund. A private non-profit Bill sponsors say people between ages 19 and 21 would have a more difficult Sports training organization would administer the loan guaranty fund for certain minority time trying to alter their driver's licenses Minnesotans hoping to make the state a business enterprises that have difficulty to buy alcohol. Provisional