Capitol Update: Roseville Rep. Mindy Greiling Sees Short Session

If you are looking for the state lawmakers to consider and pass a lot of legislation this session, you could be disappointed.

State Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, told Roseville Patch that she doesn't expects a plethora of legiation to get pushed through the Legislature with tight deadlines this session for bills to make it out of committees. 

Two weeks into the 2012 session, state lawmakers are facing March 30 as the last deadline for bills to pass out of committeees, Greiling said. "That tells us we will have fast, short" sesssion, she said, "so the he chances of getting lot of things done" are minimal.

Despite the Legislature's anticipated brevity of the 2012 session, Greiling is forging ahead as chief sponsor on a bill that would simplify a state statute for cities that want to consider or implement organized trash hauling in their communities.

Greiling's bill, if the Legislature approves in its current form, could be timely for Roseville since its Public Works, Environment and Transportation Commission has been studying whether the city should adopt an organized trash hauling system. The commission recently voted to recommend the city consider establishing an organized trash collection system. 

While the creation of organized collection often means a community contracts with just one trash hauler to provide trash hauling service, the Roseville commissoners indicated one of their goals would be to enable current trash haulers to still maintain their current market shares in the city.

Other goals include saving money for residents on trash hauling fees, establishing a transparent contract process and making sure that resident garbage goes to a waste recovery site.