Legislative Update Week 7

Click here for the updated tracking grid. The floor of both chambers have been busy going through the calendar of bills and making their votes. Some welcome defeats. But there are bills that did pass that will need some serious opposition. We have great hope for state funding of services for victims of violence.

• The Senate may have defeated a bill regarding drug testing TANF recipients (SB 2279), but the House took up pretty much the same bill (HB 1308) and passed it. In both cases the bill was changed dramatically and now the bill requires drug screening with referrals, rather than testing. It still is a bill that is stereotyping low income people and is counterproductive in helping people get out of poverty. We hope the Senate follows the same process they did with 2279 and defeats the bill.

YEAS: Anderson, B.; Beadle; Becker, Rich S.; Becker, Rick C.; Blum; Boehning; Bosch; Brabandt; Brandenburg; Carlson; Damschen; Delzer; Devlin; Dockter; Ertelt; Grueneich; Hatlestad; Headland; Heinert; Hogan; Howe; Johnson, C.; Johnson, D.; Johnston; Jones; Kading; Karls; Kasper; Kempenich; Kiefert; Klemin; Koppelman, B.; Koppelman, K.; Laning; Lefor; Longmuir; Louser; Magrum; Maragos; Marschall; Martinson; McWilliams; Meier; Mock; Nathe; Nelson, M.; O'Brien; Oliver; Olson; Owens; Paur; Pollert; Porter; Roers Jones; Rohr; Ruby, D.; Ruby, M.; Sanford; Satrom; Schatz; Schmidt; Schobinger; Schreiber-Beck; Seibel; Simons; Skroch; Steiner; Streyle; Sukut; Toman; Trottier; Vetter; Vigesaa; Weisz; Westlind; Zubke; Speaker Bellew

NAYS: Anderson, P.; Boe; Boschee; Delmore; Dobervich; Guggisberg; Hanson; Holman; Johnson, M.; Keiser; Mitskog; Schneider
ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Anderson, D.; Kreidt; Monson; Nelson, J.; Pyle

• The session’s most ridiculous bill (HB 1203) that was aimed at running over protesters was narrowly defeated by a vote of 41-50. It is a shame that is was so close. The committee amended the bill to take out the most egregious aspects of the bill, but it still had many problems. It let drivers fully off the hook if they cause the death or injury of a person blocking the road. There weren’t even exceptions for school zones. It was a terrible bill and the amendments did little to improve it.  

YEAS: Becker, Rick C.; Blum; Boehning; Bosch; Brabandt; Brandenburg; Carlson; Damschen; Delzer; Devlin; Dockter; Headland; Johnson, D.; Johnston; Kading; Karls; Kasper; Kempenich; Kiefert; Laning; Longmuir; Magrum; Monson; Nathe; O'Brien; Pollert; Porter; Rohr; Ruby, D.; Ruby, M.; Schatz; Schmidt; Schobinger; Seibel; Simons; Streyle; Toman; Vigesaa; Weisz; Zubke; Speaker Bellew

NAYS: Anderson, B.; Anderson, D.; Anderson, P.; Beadle; Becker, Rich S.; Boe; Boschee; Delmore; Dobervich; Ertelt; Grueneich; Guggisberg; Hanson; Hatlestad; Heinert; Hogan; Holman; Howe; Johnson, C.; Johnson, M.; Jones; Keiser; Klemin; Koppelman, B.; Koppelman, K.; Lefor; Louser; Maragos; Marschall; Martinson; McWilliams; Meier; Mitskog; Mock; Nelson, J.; Nelson, M.; Oliver; Olson; Owens; Paur; Roers Jones; Sanford; Satrom; Schneider; Schreiber-Beck; Skroch; Steiner; Sukut; Vetter; Westlind

ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Kreidt; Pyle; Trottier

• The Senate had SB 2337 in front of them this week. This bill asked legislators to take cultural competency training so that they could more appropriately make laws that consider a broad cross section of cultures in the state. Despite the fact that the committee turned the bill into a study, the bill still failed. The legislature deserves some self-reflection in this area.

YEAS: Bekkedahl; Burckhard; Dever; Dotzenrod; Grabinger; Heckaman; Holmberg; Kannianen; Krebsbach; Lee, G.; Marcellais; Mathern; Meyer; Nelson; Oban; Osland; Piepkorn; Poolman; Robinson; Vedaa



NAYS: Anderson; Armstrong; Bowman; Campbell; Casper; Clemens; Cook; Erbele; Hogue; Kilzer; Klein; Kreun; Laffen; Larsen, O.; Larson, D.; Lee, J.; Luick; Myrdal; Oehlke;

Roers; Rust; Schaible; Sorvaag; Unruh; Wanzek; Wardner



ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: Davison

• SB 2191 provides $250,000 to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs. 2191 remained in the form in was introduced. The Senate passed it unanimously.

 

• SB 2203 also passed unanimously in the Senate.  2203 provides funding for Human Trafficking services, and was reduced from $1 million to $500,000. We are grateful to see support for the essential services.