District 21 Sen. Bill Weber, in a legislative update sent Wednesday through email, said the just-completed session “ended in a manner I have never witnessed in my nearly 12 years as your State Senator.”
Weber, a Luverne Republican, accused Democrats of not managing their work properly and breaking legislative rules to consolidate all of their bills into a single piece of legislation, which they then forced through at the last second. He said this “unprecedented” action “disregarded the principles of transparency and thorough deliberation that are essential to good governance.”
Weber explained that last-second bill was formed by amending the Taxes Omnibus bill in conference committee, a committee on which he served as a member. He said: “This process not only bypassed the usual legislative procedures but also left little room for proper debate and scrutiny. I was only provided with a brief moment to comment in committee on this shameful move."
That bill passed at the last moment was 1,400 pages long, said Weber, and he added that senators had received no guidance on what was included -– and the enormity of the bill made it impossible to review thoroughly before the vote. Additionally, Weber said Democrats “attempted to pass a partisan cash capital improvements bill that primarily benefited the Twin Cities metro area while largely neglecting the needs of southwestern Minnesota.” The bill ultimately did not pass before the end-of-session deadline of midnight May 20.
Concluded Weber in his update: "Despite these challenges, I remain steadfast in my commitment to representing the interests and values of Senate District 21. While this session may have been fraught with procedural issues, I am proud of the progress we have made in other areas and the strength we have shown in standing up for what we believe in.”
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