(Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by the Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer team).

This week marks the beginning of the 2021 special session. 

Going into overtime like this to balance the state’s biennial budget is not what I wanted but I am confident that  my colleagues in both the House and Senate will come together for Minnesotans. A balanced budget will be the end result, no matter how messy it may get until then. 

An issue that I have had my eye on for a while has returned to the public sphere once again, and that is the issue of managing Minnesota’s historic sites and buildings. The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) has been in charge of management, upkeep, sales, and general oversight for many years with one glaring problem - they are a nonprofit organization. This poses an issue because nonprofits are not under the same rules as state-run organizations, but this specific nonprofit is in charge of state-owned properties. 

Because of this quasi-loophole, the state legislature has been left out of many decisions made on behalf of these properties and sites. There are no open meeting laws, records are few and far between, and many other important information on how these decisions have been made are missing or were simply never recorded because there was no transparency requirement. I believe the state should have a significantly larger role in the preservation of our history and be included in decisions regarding sales or changes to these sites. We need transparency in our history, regardless of how ugly it may have been.

One exciting part of this special session is that you are finally able to come back to the Capitol and participate in the legislative process! The Capitol building is officially reopened to the public! It is always so special to see the faces of constituents wandering through the beautiful, historic building in awe at the stories that have become legends within these walls. Besides the beauty of the building, you can even come to watch the Senate and House in session! It’s more exciting than TV, I promise. 

As the rest of special session unfolds, know that I remain committed to fighting for your needs at the Capitol in any way I can. I encourage you to reach out to my office with any questions, comments, or concerns. My email is Sen.Mary.Kiffmeyer@Senate.MN or you can call me at 651-296-5565.