Governor's supplemental budget, House passes bonding, Senate moves primary election date

Yesterday at the Capitol:

It was a busy day at the Capitol yesterday. Gov. Tim Pawlenty released his supplemental budget which contained a $10.46 million cut to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Recall that the state could cut $46 million from higher education and still meet the federal “maintenance of effort” requirement on receiving the federal stimulus funding. The governor took the rest of the higher education cut from the University of Minnesota at $36.1 million. The governor’s decision aligns the current budgets of the higher education systems with 2006 funding levels. A summary of the governor's budget can be found here, the actual budget recommendation can be found here.

Members of the Minnesota House met in floor session for an hour-and-a-half before recessing to attend committees, and coming back in the evening for three more hours of debate before passing the House bonding bill. The bill passed by a vote of 92-37. Rep. Alice Hausman pointed out that the $1.09 billion legislation contained $343 million for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, or $245 million when factoring out the user financing. It also provides the System with $60 million for repairs and replacement (HEAPR). She said the amount to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities was higher “because of what is happening with in the economy, because of what is happening with enrollment.” She assured members that within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities list, “we really funded projects all over the state.” As you may recall, the capital investment bill was passed by the Senate Feb. 9. Conference committee members should be named soon. These members will be tasked with creating a final bill to send back to the House and Senate.

The Senate also met in session and approved a measure to move up Minnesota’s election primary by one month to comply with federal standards. The former primary date was Sept. 14. The new legislation would push this up to Aug. 10. The House has not yet taken action on this bill.

Today at the Capitol:

The Senate Higher Education committee will be meeting today to discuss the current state of financial aid in Minnesota. After this, the committee will take testimony on the governor’s proposed supplemental budget. Both of these items will be reported on in tomorrow’s daily update.

Tuesday, February 16

8:30 AM
Senate E-12 Education and Budget Policy Division
Chair: Sen. LeRoy Stumpf
Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
E-12 Shift Presentation - Fiscal Staff

8:30 AM
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: Lessons learned on high school assessment and accountability
Dirk Mattson, Director, Assessments and Testing, Minnesota Department of Education
Kent Pekel, Director, College Readiness Consortium, University of Minnesota

9:00 AM
Finance
LCPFP Subcommittee on a Balanced Budget
Room: 15 Capitol
Chairs: Rep. Lyndon Carlson, Sen. Lawrence J. Pogemiller
Agenda: Governor's supplemental budget

Televised
10:30 AM
House Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda: Presentation by the Minnesota Science and Technology Economic
Development Project Committee
Presentation of DEED Uniform Program Accountability Measures

Televised
11:30 AM
The Senate will be in session.

Televised
12 noon
The House will meet in session.

12:30 PM
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandra L. Pappas
Agenda:
Office of Higher Education:
1. State grant short fall and solution
2. Achieve shortfall and solution
Governor’s Budget

1:00 PM
House Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: Economic Development and Job Creation
Natural Resources Research Institute - Michael Lalich, director
Green energy development and other innovative natural resources strategies
Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment - Dick Hemmingsen, director

Televised
6:30 PM
Joint committee
House Finance
House Ways and Means Committee
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chairs: Rep. Lyndon Carlson, Rep. Loren Solberg
Agenda: Overview of governor’s supplemental budget

7 PM
Joint committee
House Civil Justice
House K-12 Education Finance Division
Room: Patrick Henry High School Auditorium; 4320 N. Newton Avenue; Minneapolis Chairs: Rep. Joe Mullery, Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: The committees will hear presentations and discuss the need for collaboration between human services, education, health plans and juvenile justice.

7:00 PM
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen Betzold
Agenda: One-person/small group legislation:
Agenda: SF1374 / HF1569 (Metzen/Hansen): PERA-P&F; Joint and survivor annuity for the divorced spouse of a deceased retiree who elected a single life annuity.
HF2550 (Poppe): MSRS/MnSCU/TRA; Permitting the repayment of certain member contribution refunds; authorizing a second chance option to elect TRA retirement plan benefit coverage; mandating certain contributions.
SF2394 (Pariseau): PERA; Authorizing a late disability benefit application in certain cases.
HFxxx (Peterson, S.): SPTRFA; Service credit purchase for uncredited prior teaching service.
SF2463 / HF2651 (Rummel/McFarlane): PERA-P&F; Revise Social Security leveling option to single-life annuity.
HFxxx (Atkins): PERA; Purchase of prior service credit for a period of omitted member deductions for certain Inver Grove Heights public school employees.
SFxxx (Olson, M.): TRA; Alternative retirement annuity computation for former Red Lake Senior High School principal.
HFxxx (Thissen): PERA-P&F/Faribault Fire; Revised post-retirement adjustment and annuity adjustment for retired Faribault firefighter.

Wednesday, February 17

8:30 AM
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF664 (Welti) Mental health model curriculum created.
HF2705 (Peterson) High school student transition plan implemented for successful pursuit of postsecondary education and employment, and money appropriated.
HF2814 (Swails) Pupil transportation provisions modified, certain lift buses included in category of revenue authorized reimbursement, and contracted transportation costs included as a method for allocating pupil transportation costs.

10:30 AM
House Bioscience and Workforce Development
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda: Office of the Legislative Auditor report: Workforce Programs

12:30 PM
Senate Business, Industry and Jobs
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. James P. Metzen
Agenda: Unemployment Trust Fund Update
Legislative Auditor's Report: Workforce Programs

2:45 PM
House K-12 Education Finance Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: HF2645 (Greiling) Department of Management and Budget requirement repealed for school district state aid payments.
HF2783 (Howes) Department of Management and Budget school district state aid payment requirement repealed.
HF2683 (Dittrich) Education aid payment schedule adjusted.
HF2508 (Garofalo) State aid payment shift and


Thursday, February 18

8:30 AM
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF2703 (Greiling) Board of Teaching rulemaking authority clarified.
Board of Teaching rulemaking update.

8:30 AM
Senate E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 2305 Bonoff Education aid payment schedule modification.
S.F. 2326 Bonoff School district state aid payment reduction requirement prior to state short term borrowing repeal.
S.F. 2598 Saxhaug Collaborative urban educator grant program appropriation clarification.

Televised
10:30 AM
The House meets in Session.

Televised
11:30 AM
The Senate meets in session.

1:00 PM
House Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: Fiscal condition of state financial aid programs
David Metzen, Director of the Office of Higher Education

2:45 PM
House K-12 Education Finance Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: Federal funding update


Friday, February 19

10 AM
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold/ Rep. Mary Murphy
Room 107 Capitol
Agenda: To be announced.

Tuesday, February 23

12:30 PM
Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Chair: Sen. Sandra L. Pappas
Room 123 Capitol
Agenda:
Bush Foundation Proposal-Peter Hutchinson
OHE: Preliminary Minnesota Postsecondary Enrollment Census for Fall 2009
Minnesota's 2008 High School Graduates Enrolled in College at Record Rates-Mark Misukanis & Alexandra Djurovich , OHE

Thursday, February 25

12:30 PM
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandy Pappas
Agenda: OLA evaluation report, MnSCU System Office - Joel Alter

Friday, February 26

10 AM
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold/Rep. Mary Murphy
Room 107 Capitol
Agenda: To be announced.