Trustees confirmed; Session nearing end

Yesterday at the Capitol

Trustees confirmed by full Senate
The full Senate confirmed Cheryl Dickson, Jacob Englund, Clarence Hightower, Allyson Lueneburg, Louise Sundin and Terri Thomas as members of the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. David R. Metzen was also confirmed as director of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Less than three weeks remain to reach agreement
Legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Pawlenty met yesterday to work toward a session-ending resolution. Session Daily reports that Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, said the five bills expected to move relatively smoothly through the conference committee process this week indicate areas where the Legislature and the governor are closer to agreement. Those bills are the omnibus agriculture and veterans, transportation, economic development, environment and capital investment bills, where differences exist but are relatively narrow. Speaker Anderson Kelliher said, "Our job is to put the architecture of the deal in place, the details are best left to the conference committee level, the commissioners and administration."

The Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy met yesterday and Commission Chair Speaker Anderson Kelliher emphasized that as the constitutionally required deadline of May 18 nears, there will be some closed door negotiations, but she expects more work to be done openly by conference committees and through the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy. The Commission is scheduled to meet again Thursday.

At the Capitol:
Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.