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Senate State and Local Government Committee Hears ‘People Over Parking Act’
The bill was amended by the committee and laid over for possible inclusion in the state and local government and veterans omnibus bill.
On May 2, the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee heard SF 3572, also known as the “Minnesota People Over Parking Act.” The bill, authored by Sen. Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis), would prohibit all cities in Minnesota from imposing any type of minimum parking requirement for residential, commercial, or industrial properties within its jurisdiction aside from disability parking spaces or bicycle parking.
The bill was co-presented by Sen. Jordan Rasmussen (R-Fergus Falls), who touted the proposal as a way to reduce housing costs and was critical of city requirements. Rasmussen also supported and discussed an amendment (pdf), which was added to the bill, that would prohibit any city from conditioning an approval of a residential building permit, residential subdivision development, or residential planned unit development on the creation of a homeowners association.
Testimony
Testifiers in support of the bill included Housing First Minnesota, Service Employees International Union, the Minnesota Housing Partnership, Neighbors for More Neighbors, and Move Minnesota, among others.
The League of Minnesota Cities provided written testimony opposing the bill along with other city organizations. The City Engineers Association of Minnesota (CEAM) and the cities of Stillwater and Annandale also provided written letters of opposition.
- View the League’s written testimony on SF 3572 (pdf).
- View the CEAM written testimony on SF 3572 (pdf).
Next steps
While the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the state and local government and veterans omnibus bill and was not acted on, there appeared to be bipartisan support from some members of the committee. Even if the proposal is not included in the omnibus bill, the language could be offered as an amendment when the full Senate considers the bill on the floor. Cities with concerns about the provisions in the bill should contact their Senators.