Thursday, April 30, 2009

Higher education conference committee begins; Bioscience grants available

Higher education conference committee meets
Conferees for the higher education bill met for the first time yesterday afternoon and walked through the differences between the House and Senate bills. Conferees also adopted language that is the same and similar in the two bills. Co-chairs Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, and Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, explained that they will conduct an open and inclusive process and asked for testimony from anyone with concerns on any of the provisions in either bill.

Some of the same or similar language that was adopted includes the course equivalency provision that directs the system to maintain course equivalency guides that include information on the course equivalency and awarding of credit for learning acquired as a result of the successful completion of formal military courses and occupational training. The system currently does this so it's already in compliance.

Another provision adopted yesterday is the language that encourages the Board of Trustees to place a priority on identifying and implementing measures to improve the human resources system used by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in order to increase efficiencies and equity for faculty and staff.

And yet another provision adopted is the language that requires the Office of Higher Education to report to the Legislature on the implementation of textbook information requirements under federal code.

There was a lot of discussion on the state grant program and how each body and the governor packages the state grant surplus. Jacob Littler with MSCSA and Graeme Allen with MSUSA testified that using the state grant surplus to increase the living and miscellaneous expense, or LME, is the most equitable for students. No action was taken on any of the state grant provisions in the bill nor any finance related provisions.

The conference committee meets again today at 9:00 a.m. in room 118 of the Capitol to continue going through the bill. They are scheduled to recess at approximately 10:30 so the Senate can go into session and then reconvene at approximately 2:00 p.m.

Higher education institutions could be eligible for bioscience business infrastructure grants
A bill, sponsored by Rep. Tim Mahoney, DFL-St. Paul, and Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, that makes state colleges and universities eligible for bioscience business infrastructure grants, passed unanimously by the House yesterday and is headed to the governor. The Senate approved the bill March 5 by a vote 62-3.

The bill, HF 868/SF 684, makes the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities eligible to receive money under the state’s bioscience business development infrastructure program. The program, run by the Department of Employment and Economic Development, allows state general obligation bonds to be used for grants to cover capital costs for bioscience-related business facilities. Currently, only local governments are eligible for the grants. In addition, the bill would specify that local governments or institutions receiving grant money must pay for at least half of the cost of the completed project using non-state funds.

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

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

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.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Governor's opinions on bonding; Higher education conference committee to begin

Yesterday at the Capitol
The capital investment conference committee met yesterday and heard from Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Tom Hanson regarding Gov. Pawlenty's letter sent April 24. Commissioner Hanson reiterated that a $275 million bonding bill is too large, and emphasized that projects should be "shovel ready." The Governor has said he is not in favor of projects that build "new facilities." Attached, please find the Governor's letter outlining his bonding priorities, along with the latest spreadsheet with the House and Senate offers.

The higher education conference committee has indicated they will meet Wednesday, however the time is still to be determined. Rather than the traditional walk through of the side-by-side comparison of the two bills, the conference committee is expected to focus on the differences between the bills, beginning with a list of policy topics.

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

Monday, April 27, 2009

Higher education conferees are named

Yesterday at the Capitol
The Capital Investment Conference Committee met Friday night and the Senate had the gavel. For the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, the Senate's proposal did not change from the last Senate proposal of $45 million in HEAPR and the five vetoed projects from last session. Gov. Pawlenty has indicated his priorities for a bonding bill are asset preservation and funding for the flood in the Red River Valley. Conferees did not meet the rest of the weekend, however the House, who holds the gavel, has indicated there will likely be a meeting today. Stay tuned.

Both the Senate and House met in floor session Saturday to continue processing bills. Over the next three weeks, schedules will be fluid as conference committees work through the differences between the House and Senate.

For the higher education omnibus bill, SF 2083, Senate conferees are:
Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul
Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan
Sen. Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester
Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park
Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona

House conferees are:
Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia
Rep. Linda Slocum, DFL-Richfield
Rep. Larry Haws, DFL-St. Cloud
Rep. David Bly, DFL-Northfield
Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake

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

Friday, April 24, 2009

More bills passed on House and Senate floor; Bonding is closer

Yesterday at the Capitol

Lawmakers give approval to omnibus appropriation bills
The House and Senate spent the entire day in floor session taking up multiple omnibus appropriation bills. The House passed the K-12 Education Finance bill, the State Government Finance bill, and the Early Childhood Finance bill. The Senate passed the Environment bill and the Transportation bill. Conference committees for all the omnibus finance bills will be formed to start working through the differences between the Senate and House.

The House passed the K-12 education omnibus finance bill by a vote of 85-48. HF 2 holds education spending steady by containing no new education mandates, cutting outdated mandates and promoting shared services among districts as cost-saving measures. The bill uses $1.8 billion in accounting shifts and $275 million in one-time federal stimulus funds to offset spending cuts. Policy measures include charter school reforms and broader and more comprehensive ways to assess student performance and measure schools’ accountability.

Bonding bill conferees closer to agreement
The Capital Investment conference committee met yesterday evening. The House held the gavel and presented their proposal. The House came up $10 million in HEAPR for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, and is now at $40 million. The Senate is at $45 million in HEAPR for the system. All five vetoed projects are still in the House proposal. There was discussion that another conference committee could be called today. Stay tuned.

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

Thursday, April 23, 2009

House passes higher education bill

Yesterday at the Capitol
House passes higher education bill - heads to conference committee


The House passed the higher education omnibus bill off the floor yesterday evening by a vote of 86-46. Many amendments were discussed, but not many were adopted. The amendments that were adopted include Rep. Keith Downey's, R-Edina, amendment that requires the University of Minnesota to submit an expenditure plan to the Legislature for the 2012-13 biennium. The bill already included language for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to submit a plan.

The second amendment adopted was Rep. Larry Haws', DFL-St. Cloud, amendment that requires college and university bookstores to the extent possible to sell clothing made in America and then report to the Legislature on their efforts to comply. And the final amendment that was adopted was Rep. Steve Smith's, R-Mound, amendment that prohibits human cloning at the University of Minnesota.

Now that both bodies have passed the higher education omnibus bill, a conference committee will be formed to work through the differences. We will let you know when conferees are announced.
Bonding conference committee meets for a second time

The Capital Investment conference committee met yesterday evening. Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, presented a new offer totaling $275 million, down from $329 million. The only change to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is the HEAPR number, which went from $50 million to $45 million. All five vetoed projects are still included.

Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, said they would likely be ready to meet again this afternoon. As a reminder, the House position includes the system HEAPR number at $30 million and the five vetoed projects.

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

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Tax committees meet; Faint signs of economic improvement

Yesterday at the Capitol

Senate Tax Committee unveils tax bill - House Tax Committee approves bill

Senate Tax Committee Chair, Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, released the Senate's tax proposal yesterday. Under the bill, income tax rates are set at 6 percent, 7.7 percent and 8.5 percent. The bill also creates a fourth tier with a rate of 9.9 percent for single taxpayers making $141,250 in taxable net income and for married couples making $250,000 in taxable net income. The bill also sets the alternative minimum tax rate at 7 percent for tax years 2009 to 2013 and then returns to the current rate in tax year 2013.

Sen. Bakk said the proposal raises income taxes at all levels in order to raise $2.188 billion over the course of the next biennium. However, Bakk said the new income tax rates will blink off in 2014. He said the income tax increase will have an impact on most tax filers, but 15 percent of taxpayers will not be affected by the change. Bakk said the bill is weighted toward high income households with 3.5 percent of the highest income taxpayers accounting for 40 percent of the increase.

Bakk said the bill is part of the solution to the state's budget crisis. "The appropriation bills all contain seven percent cuts in base spending, but those cuts would be much more severe without the revenue raised in the bill," Bakk said.

Over in the House, the House Tax Committee narrowly approved the tax omnibus bill by a vote of 16-14 yesterday. It now moves to the House Ways and Means Committee, where it is scheduled to be taken up this morning.

Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, the committee chairwoman, said the bill, HF 2323, is an attempt to reform the tax code. The bill cuts $1.6 billion in the current biennium by eliminating dozens of existing business subsidies and other tax expenditures, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty's economic development initiative known as Job Opportunity Building Zones, or JOBZ. The bill raises $1.5 billion in revenue, with a new income tax rate of 9 percent for couples making more than $300,000 a year, a tax on cigarettes of 54 cents a pack, and adds 1 to 3 cents to the cost of a drink through the alcohol tax. The bill also expands the sales tax to the purchase of goods on the internet, as well as the digital downloads of music, books and video.

Economic outlook showing faint signs of improvement
The House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division heard from Dan McElroy, commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development, yesterday. Commissioner McElroy told lawmakers that the economy is showing faint signs of improvement, but also cautioned that the slight improvements mask grim realities in some parts of the state.

McElroy said the number of initial unemployment insurance claims in the state had dropped slightly, and said national trends with some indicators like orders for manufactured goods are showing early signs of improvement. He did note, however, the state unemployment rate has reached 8.2 percent, the highest it has been since 1983.

Today at the Capitol
The House is scheduled to take up the higher education omnibus bill on the floor today. The House goes into session at 11:00 a.m.

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

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Bills continue to move

Yesterday at the Capitol

House higher education omnibus bill headed to the floor
The House Ways and Means Committee approved the higher education omnibus bill last night, it now heads to the floor. There was one amendment to the bill regarding the language on tuition guarantee. Instead of implementing a stable four-year tuition rate guaranteed, the language now reads that students must be offered the opportunity to participate in a four-year stable tuition rate plan. Attached is a pdf of the bill handed-out in committee last night. As a reminder, the Senate passed their version of the higher ed bill off the floor Friday. Once the House passes the bill, a conference committee will be formed to work through the differences in the two bills.

Bills moving through the process
The House Finance committee approved HF 2251 yesterday, sponsored by Rep. Loren Solberg, DFL-Grand Rapids. The bill appropriates $1.1 million to state officials to help report and oversee the state’s use of the federal stimulus funds. $700,000 would be appropriated to Minnesota Management and Budget and $384,000 to the Office of the State Auditor.

The funds would be made available for the current fiscal year, and would carry over into the next biennium. Rep. Solberg said Minnesota Management and Budget requested the money to comply with federal oversight requirements included in the stimulus. Sen. Richard Cohen, DFL-St. Paul, is the author of SF 1938, the companion in the Senate which awaits action by the full Senate.

Both the House and Senate passed a bill that would allow unemployment benefits for employees in the WIRED program, which is funded by a U.S. Dept. of Labor Grant. HF 1048 / SF 643, which passed the Senate April 6 and then passed the House yesterday, is on its way to the governor.

Similar to the Shared Work Program, a Workforce Investment in Regional Economic Development participant would reduce his or her work hours in order to take skills training, and would receive unemployment benefits in proportion to the amount of reduced hours.

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

Monday, April 20, 2009

Ways and Means to take up higher education ominbus bill

Today at the Capitol

The House higher education omnibus bill will be taken up in Ways and Means this afternoon. The committee is scheduled to meet at 3:00 or immediately following session if the floor session continues past 3:00. The House goes into session at 1:00 p.m. and the Senate is scheduled to meet at 11:00 a.m.

At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Trustees confirmed; Senate bill going to the floor

Yesterday at the Capitol Senate Higher Education Committee forwards nominations for Board of Trustees to full Senate for confirmation
The Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division forwarded the names of Cheryl Dickson, Jacob Englund, Clarence Hightower, Allyson Lueneburg, Louise Sundin and Terri Thomas to the full Senate for confirmation of their appointment to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. After introductions and background comments, trustees in attendance responded to a variety of questions related to access, affordability, tuition, campus locations and the current budget situation.

Senate Higher Education bill heads to the floor
The Senate Finance committee took up the higher education omnibus bill yesterday. Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, the author of SF 2083, explained the bill to committee members. Members adopted amendments including deleting farm and small business management and Northeast Higher Education District/Range vocational education from the list of priority allocations to be reviewed by the Board. Another amendment adopted by the committee requires the Office of Higher Education and the Dept. of Education to report on best practices in innovative teacher education programs and teacher education research. The omnibus bill was approved as amended and sent to the Rules and Administration Committee because of a provision requiring the appointment of Legislators to the P-20 Education Partnership. Rules Committee adopted an amendment yesterday afternoon providing a 2013 sunset for the partnership and advanced the bill to the full Senate. The bill will be taken up on the Senate floor at 11:30 today.

The bill can be found here.

At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Omnibus bills move; Bonding documents available

Yesterday at the Capitol

House Higher Education committee passes omnibus bill
The House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division passed the omnibus appropriation bill as amended out of committee yesterday by a vote of 14-5. Attached is a draft side-by-side document that compares the provisions in each bill. Amendments can still be made in Finance and Ways and Means committees. As amendments are made to either bill, we will make those adjustments. Chair Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, did indicate in committee that they will "fix" two provisions in the bill; the provision that provides for an undergraduate tuition guarantee with a stable tuition rate for up to four consecutive academic years, and the provision that states the Board may not fill administrative and managerial vacancies during the 2010-11 biennium in the central office or at any campus.

The bill heads next to Finance Committee Friday. The hearing starts at 9:00 a.m., however there are 3 omnibus appropriation bills scheduled ahead of the higher ed bill. It is possible that the committee will not get to the bill and therefore will take it up Saturday morning.

The Senate higher education omnibus bill is going to be taken up this morning, Thursday, at 8:30 in the Finance Committee.

Appropriation omnibus bills continue to clear committee
In addition to the higher education bill, all finance divisions are passing omnibus appropriation bills out of committee to meet today's deadline. Yesterday, the House K-12 Education Finance Division approved the omnibus education finance bill. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, incorporates several mostly technical amendments and contains the bill’s original plan to stabilize and simplify the state’s education funding formula, though it would delay their effective date until 2014. The bill would conform to House DFL targets by lowering the aid payment shift from 90 percent to 73 percent beginning in fiscal year 2010.

In State Government, committee members narrowly approved the House omnibus state government finance bill by a vote of 7-6, after making some major changes to it. Sponsored by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, the bill was successfully amended to include a provision for domestic partner benefits for state employees. In addition, an amendment successfully offered by Rep. Karla Bigham, DFL-Cottage Grove, made several significant changes to the bill, including:

• removing a provision that would have asked the state lottery to operate slot machines at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport;

• requiring Gov. Tim Pawlenty to cut nearly all deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners in his cabinet;

• delaying by one year the implementation of a complete overhaul of the state’s accounting and procurement computer system; and

• removing a proposal to shift $18.6 million in state aid for teachers retirement funds into the next biennium.

Bonding conference committee documents available
The capital investment conference committee has made available a side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate bills, which can be found here. A summary comparison of the two bills can be found here. The second conference committee has yet to be called. Stay tuned.


At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Bonding bill goes to conference committee, Higher education omnibus moving

Yesterday at the Capitol Bonding conference committee holds first meeting
The capital investment conference committee met for the first time yesterday afternoon, and House and Senate conferees compared the differences in the respective bills. HF855 / SF781, sponsored by Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, and Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, differ by $129.2 million.

"We are encouraged there will be a bill this year," Rep. Hausman said, adding that she and Sen. Langseth have spoken with the governor’s office. The next meeting of the conference committee has not yet been scheduled. Stay tuned.

Higher education omnibus bills moving fast
The House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division presented the omnibus higher education and workforce development finance bill yesterday afternoon and them met later in the evening to take up amendments to the bill. The committee is expected to pass it out of committee today. We will send a side-by-side comparison of the two bills shortly.

Highlights of the bill include:

The bill cuts the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system $160 million in base funding over the 2010-11 biennium. The bill then allocates federal stabilization funds (one-time) of $130 million.

Financial aid: the tuition maximum in the state grant program is set at $9,938 for students in four-year programs. The tuition and fee maximum for a student at a two-year college is the maximum tuition and fee amount charged at a two-year college. The LME is set at $6,900 each year; the assigned student responsibility is reduced from 46% to 45% of the cost of attending the institution; the number of semesters eligible for a state grant is increased from 8 semesters to 10 semesters; and as a condition of enrollment, each entering Minnesota resident student must complete the FAFSA.

- The bill appropriates $2 million each year for the existing Power of You program and for pilot rural and suburban sites.

- The bill appropriates $100,000 each year for financial aid offices at each of the colleges in the system to provide emergency aid grants to technical and community college students who are experiencing extraordinary economic circumstances.

- The appropriation to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is for operation and maintenance for direct support of instruction and related functions necessary to protect the core mission of educating students.

- Language states the Board may not fill administrative and managerial vacancies during the 2010-11 biennium in the central office or at any campus, and a search firm may not be used.

- Language is included that states the Board must not expend appropriations for competitive salaries, awards of excellence, campus and technology initiatives outside the allocation model or other Board of Chancellor initiatives. During the 2010-11 biennium, expenditures for technology must not exceed $40 million and expenditures for underrepresented students must not exceed $5 million.

- Tuition increases for an undergraduate student must not exceed 5% each year of the 2010-11 biennium. Federal stimulus money must be used to buy down the tuition increase to no more than 2% per year for these students.

- The bill exempts the AAS degree from the 60-semester credit length until July 2, 2012. By Jan. 2, 2010, MSCF and MSCSA must present a joint report to higher education committees on a process for reviewing the credit requirements for an AAS degree.

- The bill requires a bookstore located on a public college or university campus to only offer clothing manufactured in the U.S.

- The bill makes the selection process for the Board of Trustees the same as the University of Minnesota Regent selection - elected by the legislature.

- The bill provides for an undergraduate tuition guarantee - gurantees a stable tuition rate for up to four consecutive academic years.

The Senate Higher Education committee passed their version of the higher education omnibus bill out of committee yesterday afternoon. Next stop for the bill is the Senate Finance Committee Thursday. For a reminder of what is included in the bill, you may refer to the Government Relations Web site.

At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Legislative break over, time to get back to work

Good morning. Lawmakers return to St. Paul today after a brief spring break for a noon floor session in both the Senate and House. As reported in last week's weekly update, the higher education omnibus appropriation bill in both the Senate and House will be moving quickly this week.

The Senate Higher Education committee released their bill last week, but did not take any action on the bill. Committee members are expected to pass it out of committee today at 12:30 p.m. where it will then head to the Senate Finance Committee Thursday.

The House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division is scheduled to release their bill this afternoon at 1:00. Committee members will walk through the bill and amendments will be taken later this evening at 7:00. If necessary, they will meet tomorrow afternoon to finish amendments, and the plan is to pass the bill out of committee Thursday. The House Finance committee is expected to take the bill up Friday. Stay tuned as we learn more.

The capital investment conference committee is also expected to meet this afternoon at 2:45 to start working through the differences in the two bills. As a reminder, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is in the Senate bill for $90 million and the House bill for $67.9 million in HEAPR and projects.

At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

House passes the bonding bill

Yesterday at the Capitol House passes bonding bill

The full House passed the bonding bill on the floor yesterday by a vote of 93-40. There was one amendment adopted that requires the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and others to report to the Legislature on the jobs created or retained as a result of the projects funded. The report must include, but is not limited to, the number and types of jobs for each project, whether new or retained, where the jobs are located, and pay ranges. The bill passed with $67.9 million for the System; $30 million in HEAPR and the five vetoed projects from last session.

Please find the latest engrossment of the bill here.

Since the Senate already passed their version of the bonding bill March 16, the next stop is a conference committee to work through the differences in the two bills.

At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Short session week

This will be a short week at the Capitol with lawmakers heading home for a legislative spring break starting Wed., April 8 through Mon., April 13. However, we can expect long committee hearings and potentially long floor sessions Monday and Tuesday. The House is expected to take up the bonding bill on the floor this afternoon. They go into session at 1:00 p.m.

At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Senate education committee hears bills; Federal stimulus update is available

Yesterday at the Capitol

Senate Higher Ed committee continues to hear bills


The Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division met yesterday and heard SF 155, sponsored by committee chair Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul. The bill appropriates $95,000 in each year of the biennium to the Midwest Higher Education Compact. Pappas said the appropriation covers the dues the state pays to the compact. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Larry Issak, president of the Midwest Higher Education Compact, said the purpose of the compact is to advance Midwestern higher education through interstate cooperation and resource sharing. He said the compact is focused on cost savings, student access and policy research. Cost savings last year amounted to $31 million through technology, property insurance programs and contracts. Issak said the compact also provides for reduced tuition for students in eight participating states and although Minnesota tends to have more students coming to the state, the compact has saved Minnesota students $4.8 in reduced tuition for other states.

The committee also heard from Jennifer Godinez, associate director of the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership. Godinez said the Partnership has produced innovative initiatives for college access, and has built a community of advocates and practitioners committed to increasing college readiness and closing the achievement gap in Minnesota.

Committee members also heard SF 1640, sponsored by Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, which provides an appropriation for a grant to Minnesota State University, Mankato for the International Renewable Energy Technical Institute. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the division's omnibus bill.

Status of federal stimulus funds

The Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy met yesterday to provide an update on the status and process of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Committee members discussed the Legislative Auditor's role in federal compliance as well. With billions of federal stimulus dollars expected to flow into Minnesota, the state is required to follow strict federal accounting procedures. Legislative Auditor James Nobles told the Commission that he is concerned with the quick infusion of the new federal money and reporting requirements that his office will need to audit.

Minnesota Management and Budget has set up a Web site for the State of Minnesota’s coordination efforts of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. You can access it here.

At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

House bonding bill moves; Tax Commission report out


Yesterday at the Capitol

House bonding bill clears another hurdle

One more stop for the House bonding bill - the House floor. The House Ways and Means Committee passed HF 855 yesterday afternoon on a voice vote. One amendment was added that assists St. Vincent, a small town located near the flood plains on the Red River Valley. No projects were removed. As a reminder, the bill contain $67.9 million for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, $30 million in HEAPR and the 5 vetoed projects from last session. Author Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL- St. Paul, said that the committee tried to work within the set $200 million House target. In fact, she said $35,000 was cut from the bill to keep the level exactly at $200 million. Rep. Loren Solberg, DFL-Grand Rapids, chair of Ways and Means said, "That (level) does meet the debt service cap."

You may recall, the Senate has already approved its version of the bill. If the House version passes the floor, a conference committee will be held to work out the differences between the two bills.


Tax Commission recommendation heard in House

The Governor's 21st Century Tax Reform Commission reported their recommendations to the House Tax committee yesterday, which include repealing the corporate income tax and offering businesses other tax credits and exemptions in order to make Minnesota more competitive. In order to pay for this reform, the Commission has recommended raising cigarette taxes by as much as $1 a pack and expanding the state’s 6.5 percent sales tax to items like clothing, baby products and textbooks. The results of the Commission's recommendation can be found in HF 2263, being carried by Tax Chair, Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington. The Commission's full report can be found here.

At the Capitol:

Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

House bonding bill advances; House considers early graduation; New Veteran's law proposed

Yesterday at the Capitol

House bonding bill makes its way through committee

The House Capital Investment committee passed HF 855 out of committee yesterday. Chair Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, the author of the bill said she would have preferred to have a larger bonding bill than the $200 million in projects, but given the state's budget deficit, committee members focused on projects that would help get people to work right away. Included in the bill for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is $67.9 million; $30 million in HEAPR and the 5 vetoed projects from the 2008 legislative session.

The bill was later approved in the House Finance Committee and next makes its way to the Ways and Means committee at 2:45 this afternoon. As a reminder, the Senate has already passed their bonding bill, which includes $90 million for the system; $50 million in HEAPR and the 5 vetoed projects.

You may review the House bill here.

Early graduation scholarship bill heard in House
The House K-12 Education Finance Division heard HF 1177 yesterday, a bill that would create an early graduation achievement scholarship program. Students who graduate one semester early could earn $2,500, $5,000 if they graduate two semesters early, or $7,500 in three semesters. The scholarship would be good at any higher education institution.

Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, the bill's author, said the bill could help make college more affordable for students and would save school districts money. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the division’s omnibus bill. The bill's companion, SF 1977, sponsored by Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, awaits a hearing in the Senate E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division.

House committee hears Veteran benefit bill
HF 938, a bill that allows state-employed veterans who suffer from a service-related disability to apply to Minnesota Management and Budget for up to 40 hours of additional sick leave per year to receive treatment for veteran health issues, was approved yesterday in the House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections committee. The bill was referred to the Finance Committee. The Senate companion, SF 334, has been laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate State Government Budget Division omnibus bill.

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