Legislative Evaluation Assembly of Minnesota

2020 LEA Report (.pdf)

LEA highlights legislative accomplishments, abdications; announces honorees.

St. Paul, MN, September 30, 2020 — Legislative Evaluation Assembly of Minnesota (LEA) is releasing its evaluation of the Minnesota legislature’s extraordinary 2020 sessions. The 2020 LEA report highlights key legislative decisions, from the measures quickly taken in the first days of the pandemic, to the belated confirmation vote taken on a troublesome cabinet member during the third special
session. LEA notes a shift in perceptions of government’s proper role. “Government’s function should be limited to protecting our rights and our freedoms while we otherwise go about our business. “ says LEA president Don Lee. “In 2020, limited government was almost abandoned amidst efforts to impose arbitrary government responses to announced crises.”

A few legislators stood against this overreach and abdication of legislative responsibility. We salute these few by naming them as honorees in our report.

Seventeen House floor votes and sixteen Senate floor votes, with impact on important principles in lawmaking, are summarized in the 2020 LEA Report. They deal with topics such as the legislature’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the Governor’s executive orders and emergency declarations. Diverse issues such as the 2nd amendment, tobacco legislation, cosmetology regulation, racism, drug policy and police reform are also covered.

2020 Honorees: Representatives Cal Bahr, Steve Drazkowski, Eric Lucero, and Jeremy Munson. (No Senate honorees.)

Honorable Mention: Representatives Steve Green, Matt Grossell, John Heinrich, Josh Heintzeman, Jerry Hertaus, Shane Mekeland, Jim Nash and Anne Neu.

LEA evaluates legislative session, decries unconstitutional lawmaking patterns and announces
honorees. 2019 LEA Report

St. Paul, MN, October 22, 2019 — Legislative Evaluation Assembly of Minnesota (LEA) has completed its evaluation of the 2019 Minnesota legislature’s performance. In its report, released today, the LEA criticizes the growing role of “omnibus” bills derived through non-transparent, unaccountable legislative processes.

“Good lawmaking requires an open and accountable process,” says LEA president Don Lee. “Minnesota’s constitution requires each bill to embrace one subject, a requirement flouted in 2019. The house speaker and senate majority leader met with the governor behind closed doors to make deals, which they expected to be rubber-stamped by legislators without amendment or debate. The result was over 2100 pages of legislation and nearly all of the biennial budget contained in 13 ‘omnibus’ bills, passed in a one-day special session.”