In House Democrats signal priorities in new committee structure, Minnesota Public Radio's Briana Bierschbach reports:
The incoming DFL majority in the Minnesota House released its new committee structure and named committee chairs on Wednesday, signaling a renewed focus on issues such as criminal justice, the environment, affordable housing — as well as the legislative process itself.
Democrats reclaimed the majority on Nov. 6, picking up 18 seats from Republicans for a 75-59 hold on the chamber beginning in January. The new committees include ones focusing on climate change, clean water, early childhood education, labor and corrections.
“We’ve streamlined the committee structure by creating fewer stops for bills in the areas of agriculture, transportation, and civil law,” said Speaker-designate Melissa Hortman in a statement. “We’re also creating committees to give attention to issues that affect Minnesotans’ lives but which have not received enough consideration previously.”
One new subcommittee will focus on changing the legislative process. Last session, Dayton vetoed a 990-page budget bill sent to him in the final hours of session by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
“The legislative failures of the past four years have revealed that the Legislature needs to reform the way it conducts business,” Hortman said. “I am hopeful the Minnesota Senate will partner with us to make the legislature more efficient, effective, and transparent.” ....
Minneapolis Star Tribune political reporter J. Patrick Coolican writes in Minnesota House Democrats announce new committees and their leaders:
Democrats, who flipped 18 districts to recapture the majority they last held in 2014, announced their new committees and chairs Wednesday, a first step in setting the party's agenda in the session that starts in January. Along with Democratic Gov.-elect Tim Walz, Hortman and the new House majority will push for progress on issues they campaigned on: education funding, health care and preventing gun violence, among others.
A number of longtime House veterans will lead key tax and spending committees. But House Democrats have also tapped newer members to lead some committees, including a handful of members from a new geographic power base for the party — the suburbs, where Democrats made big gains to topple the GOP majority.
"There's 40 of us from the suburbs," said Rep.-elect Heather Edelson, a mental health therapist who will represent Edina after vanquishing Rep. Dario Anselmo. "I think there's going to be a lot of common issues around schools, seniors and gun legislation around a suburban majority."
The new majority's two top leaders also represent suburban constituencies. Hortman is from Brooklyn Park; Rep.-elect Ryan Winkler, the incoming House majority leader, lives in Golden Valley.
The ranks of Democratic committee chairs includes senior members like Reps. Lyndon Carlson of Robbinsdale, Paul Marquart of Dilworth, Mary Murphy of Hermantown, Tina Liebling of Rochester and Jim Davnie of Minneapolis.
Marquart, who will chair the Taxes Committee, has long worried his party has become too focused on metro voters. But he said he's hopeful House Democrats are looking out for the entire state. Walz, who is from Mankato, campaigned on a "one Minnesota" slogan, while Hortman has emphasized the goal of making life better for all Minnesotans.
"I'm very optimistic about that and feeling good about it," Marquart said.
Committees: what's new, gone, and unchanged
Agriculture
Agriculture and Food Finance & Policy Division —Rep. Jean Poppe
2017-2018:
Agriculture Finance Chair: Rep. Rod Hamilton
Agriculture Policy Chair: Rep. Paul Anderson
Bonding
Capital Investment Division — Rep. Mary Murphy
2017-2018
Capital Investment Rep. Dean Urdahl
Commerce
Commerce — Rep. Laurie Halverson
2017-2018
Commerce and Regulatory Reform Rep. Joe Hoppe (did not seek re-election)
Education
Education Finance Division — Rep. Jim Davnie
Subcommittee on Early Childhood Finance & Policy — Rep. Dave Pinto
Education Policy — Rep. Cheryl Youakim
2017-2018
Education Finance Rep. Jenifer Loon (defeated in 2018)
Education Innovation Policy Rep. Sondra Erickson
Energy
Energy and Climate Finance & Policy Division — Rep. Jean Wagenius
2017-2018
Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Pat Garofalo
Environment
Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division — Rep. Rick Hansen
Subcommittee on Water — Rep. Peter Fischer
Environment and Natural Resources Policy — Rep. John Persell
2017-2018
Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance. Rep Dan Fabian
Subcommittee on Mining, Forestry, and Tourism Rep. Chris Swedzinski
Ethics
Ethics — Rep. Mary Murphy
2017-2018
Ethics--Sondra Erickson
Government operations
Government Operations — Rep. Michael Freiberg
Subcommittee on Elections — Rep. Ray Dehn
Subcommittee on Local Government — Rep. Sandra Masin
2017-2018
Government Operations and Elections Policy Rep. Tim O'Driscoll
Greater Minnesota
Greater Minnesota Jobs and Econ Development Finance Division — Rep. Gene Pelowski
2017-2018: None
The GOP Majority did create a Greater Minnesota Jobs and Econ Development Policy committee for the 2015-2016 session
Health and Human Services
Health and Human Services Finance Division — Rep. Tina Liebling
Subcommittee on Long Term Care — Rep. Jennifer Schultz
Subcommittee on Early Childhood Finance & Policy — Rep. Dave Pinto
Health and Human Services Policy — Rep. Rena Moran
2017-2018
Health and Human Services Finance Rep. Matt Dean (did not seek re-election)
Health and Human Services Reform Rep. Joe Schomacker
Subcommittee on Aging and Long-Term Care Debra Kiel
Subcommittee on Childcare Access and Affordability Rep. Mary Franson
Higher Education
Higher Education Finance & Policy Division — Rep. Connie Bernardy
2017-2018
Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance Rep. Bud Nornes
Housing
Housing Finance & Policy Division — Rep. Alice Hausman
2017-2018
Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Rep. Pat Garofalo
Jobs
Jobs & Economic Development Finance Division-- Rep. Tim Mahoney
Labor — Rep. Mike Sundin
2017-2018
Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Rep. Pat Garofalo
Judiciary/Civil Law
Judiciary Finance & Civil Law Division– Rep. John Lesch
2017-2018
Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Rep. Peggy Scott
Legacy Finance
Legacy Finance Division — Rep. Leon Lillie
2017-2018
Legacy Funding Finance Rep. Bob Gunther
Public Safety
Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance & Policy Division — Rep. Carlos Mariani
Subcommittee on Corrections — Rep. Jack Considine
2017-2018
Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance -- Rep. Brian Johnson
Rules
Rules and Legislative Administration — Rep. Ryan Winkler
Subcommittee on Legislative Process Reform — Rep. Gene Pelowski
2017-2018
Rules and Legislative Administration --Rep. Joyce Peppin (did not seek re-election)
State Government Finance
State Government Finance Division — Rep. Michael Nelson
2017-2018
State Government Finance Rep. Sarah Anderson (defeated)
Taxes
Taxes — Rep. Paul Marquart
Property and Local Tax Division — Rep. Diane Loeffler
2017-2018
Taxes --Rep. Greg Davids
Property Tax and Local Government Finance Division --Rep. Steve Drazkowski
Transportation
Transportation Finance & Policy Division — Rep. Frank Hornstein
2017-2018
Transportation Finance--Rep. Paul Torkelson
Transportation and Regional Governance Policy--Rep. Linda Runbeck
Veterans
Veterans and Military Affairs Finance & Policy Division — Rep. Rob Ecklund
2017-2018
Veterans Affairs Division-- Rep. Bob Dettmer
Ways and Means
Ways and Means — Rep. Lyndon Carlson
2017-2018
Ways and Means --Rep. Jim Knoblach (suspended campaign; lost election)
2017-2018 "Orphan"
Select Committee on Technology and Responsive Government --Rep. Dave Baker
To see the committee structures the Republican caucus created upon regaining power following the 2014 election, click here. The 2013-2014 committees under DFL are here.
A few observations
The last time the DFL caucus controlled the Minnesota House, now Speaker Hortman chaired the Energy Policy committee, while 2019 Energy and Climate Finance & Policy Division chair Jean Wagenius held the reins at the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance committee.
One clean energy advocate tweeted his appreciation of this development:
Am I the only one that thinks it is high time to have the Energy Committee also share the word #Climate?
— Sam Villella (@sdvillella) November 22, 2018
Good work @melissahortman
Congrats @JeanWagenius#ActOnClimate #ClimateChange https://t.co/ORrndDkbTr
The combining of Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, chaired by a Minneapolis resident, was a shrieking point on the part of some greater Minnesota Republicans and Wagenius was bounced from both with the Republicans' recovery of power in the 2014 elections, despite increased funding for ag during her tenure (Farmer Andrew Falk, vice chair of the committee, lost his seat in 2014). Jeanne Poppe, who will chair the new Agriculture and Food Finance & Policy division, held the gavel for Agriculture Policy for 2013-2014.
Water subcommittee chair Peter Fischer was the vice-chair of the 2013-2014 Environment and Natural Resources Policy committee under the leadership of the late David Dill. With the Environment and Natural Resources Finance division chaired by Hansen--a suburban champion for pollinators, clean water and CWD mitigation who also farms in Southeastern Minnesota--and the returning rural environmentalist John Persell at the head of Environment and Natural Resources Policy, these strong voices should prove worth watching.
Let the endless GOP House Festivus begin
Even when they held power, House Republicans were constantly airing grievances about how oppressed they were; consider, for example, the hurt caused by the process of creating a new nitrogen fertilizer rule. Former Speaker--now Minority Leader Kurt Daudt wasted no time, telling Bierschbach at MPR a few classic GOP talking points signifying that message recycling continues:
Current House Speaker Kurt Daudt, who will be the minority leader in January, said Democrats’ new committees “cater” to special interests.
“It is no surprise that one of Democrats’ first moves is to make the legislature less transparent and less accessible to everyday Minnesotans,” he said in a statement. “They are growing the committee structure by 30 percent, primarily by adding committees that cater to their activist base and special interests.”
Oh snap. There's more at the Strib, where Daudt tells Coolican:
"They aren't big on ideas and solutions," Daudt alleged of his Democratic colleagues. "They're big on screwing things up and blaming other people for it."
Daudt doesn't have a much better opinion of suburban voters, blaming his caucus's loss on someone else, while also accusing voters of ignorance:
Daudt called the election a referendum on President Donald Trump and a chance for suburban voters to show their disapproval of him by kicking out Republicans up and down the ballot.
"I worry they don't know what they voted for," Daudt said of suburban voters.
Who knew Minnesotans are dumb?
Photo: Incoming Speaker of the Minnesota House, Melissa Hortman. Via Hortman for State House.
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