Rep. Tim O’Driscoll announced on Apr. 23 that the Minnesota House is approaching the final weeks of its legislative session, with both the House and Senate working through numerous bills ahead of adjournment.
O’Driscoll said that if similar bills pass both chambers, a conference committee will be formed to reconcile differences before presenting a compromise for final approval by lawmakers.
He shared his recent experience presiding over the House floor as part of a tradition for retiring members, noting, “Retiring House members always have the opportunity to spend some time at the Speaker’s rostrum during a floor session to temporarily preside over the body. I took my turn on Thursday – though I also served as Speaker Pro Tempore during the 2015-16 session.” He also mentioned John deCausmeaker’s performance of the National Anthem in the chamber.
O’Driscoll reported progress in commerce-related legislation from his committee, which he co-chairs. He said bipartisan consumer protection and affordability measures were advanced this year. Addressing fraud involving cryptocurrency kiosks was another focus: “Our committee also moved forward with legislation that would ban stand-alone cryptocurrency kiosks… far too many in our senior population are being extorted by scammers who convince them to send cryptocurrency, which is difficult to recover.” O’Driscoll cited demographic trends as reason for urgency: “When you consider that by 2035, Minnesota will soon have more people above the age of 65 than it does below the age of 18, you understand the need to implement this safeguard.”
The update included details about consideration of a measure called the Fraud Isn’t Free Act: “It would require agencies to halt new enrollment in programs where fraud is found and remove responsible leadership.” The proposal calls for budget cuts and salary reductions until corrective actions are taken; O’Driscoll noted partisan division on its passage.
On tax policy, he said work continues on aligning state law with federal tax changes so Minnesotans can benefit from deductions such as those related to tips and overtime pay.
O’Driscoll concluded by encouraging constituents to reach out with concerns or questions.
