Another week, another update! – Here’s what happened this past week at the Capitol:
1. BATC Meets with Governor Dayton: Last Monday BATC received a call from the Governor’s office inviting us to join the Governor for a sprinkler mandate/building code conversation. BATC leaders Chris Contreras, Meg Jaeger, and Shawn Nelson, along with BATC attorney/lobbyist Peter Coyle met with Governor Dayton himself for the first time to talk about the sprinkler mandate and code process. BAM leadership, including Mike Paradise (BAM President) and Clay Dietrich (Dietrich Homes) as well as BAM's Remi Stone and Larry Redmond plus representatives from the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) also attended the meeting.
Despite strong contributions in the conversation from our industry leadership regarding the unnecessary sprinkler mandate, the Governor remains opposed. Acknowledging the Governor’s intransigence on this issue, legislators have encouraged BATC to press forward. Expect further activity on the sprinkler mandate and energy code as session moves ahead.
2. Day at the Capitol a Rousing Success: Builder Day at the Capitol was once again a great success! The event proved to be a great opportunity for BATC members, as well as BAM members from across the state, to share with their legislators why home building matters. Watch the video above.
3. Street Improvement Districts Stalled: The annual push by local government groups to establish new authority for cities to create street improvement districts is struggling to move ahead and may be stalled for the session. This is good news for BATC, as we’ve opposed the measure for over a decade.
4. Met Council Bill Would Require Staggered Terms: BATC is tracking HF752, which is a well-positioned Met Council reform measure. Per a MN House GOP Release: Rep. Mark Uglem, R-Champlin, has once again introduced a bill to stagger terms on the Met Council, one of a number of bipartisan proposals aimed at increasing accountability for the sprawling agency.
5. Budget Forecast Up This Week: The February forecast is set to be released by MN Management and Budget on February 27th. As the final forecast prior to the establishment of a two-year budget, legislative leaders will be able to set the “budget targets” for the respective finance committees.
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