Capitol Report: 2018 House Priorities, Elder Abuse, Hands Free Mode for Drivers

Speaker of the House Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, and House Minority Leader Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, join Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about their priorities for the 2018 legislative session. The leaders provide their perspectives on issues likely to require legislative action this session, including adjusting the state’s tax law to align with recent federal tax law changes and the size and scope of a statewide capital investments package.

Families impacted by elder abuse and neglect at senior care facilities testified before the Senate Aging and Long Term Care Committee this week. Later, Governor Mark Dayton offered his perspective on what he hopes will be accomplished this session to address the problem.

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia require drivers to use hands-free mode. Bipartisan lawmakers and advocates, surrounded by family members of loved ones who’ve died as a result of drivers distracted by cell phones, rallied at the State Capitol Thursday, February 22, to make Minnesota the sixteenth state. Capitol Report provides highlights of the rally as well as a portion of an earlier interview with Senator Jim Carlson, DFL-Eden Prairie, who is author of the Senate bill that would require hands-free cell phone technology behind the wheel.