Friday, February 26, 2010

U of MN discusses budget; Primary election moved up; GAMC veto override; new licensing for teachers

Yesterday at the Capitol

The University of Minnesota discussed their budget with members of the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division committee yesterday afternoon. President Bruininks told committee members that the state has always had a proud tradition of supporting higher education, however that state support is declining. He said if this is the new norm, higher education will have to be defined differently in Minnesota.

President Bruininks also said the University has downsized its workforce and reduced operating costs due to the recent budget cuts and unallotments higher education has received. He told the committee that further cuts would jeopardize the University’s mission. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is scheduled to speak to this committee about the system's budget Tuesday, March 2.

On the House floor yesterday, members passed a bill by a vote of 126-5 that would move the primary election date from September to the second Tuesday in August to meet a federal mandate. The federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act passed in Oct. 2009, requires at least a 45-day period for absentee ballots to be returned and counted for primaries and elections, the previous law was 30 days. In 2008, almost 400,000 military and overseas absentee voters did not have their ballots counted due to lack of time.

On the Senate floor, senators were successful in overriding the governor's veto of the GAMC bill by a vote of 45-21. The bill now heads to the House, where a two-thirds majority is needed for an override. General Assistance Medical Care covers adults with yearly incomes of less than $8,000, including many with chronic health problems, chemical addictions and mental illness. The bill is an attempt to reshape the General Assistance Medical Care program, which is due to end April 1. Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, said the Legislature's approach will cost the state an average of $457 per person per month; however, under the legislation, more people would be covered which would cost more.

And in the House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee, lawmakers approved two bills that would create alternative licensure for nontraditional teachers such as Teach for America teachers. Sponsored by Rep. Linda Slocum, DFL-Richfield, HF 3074 would repeal the current alternative teacher licensure law, and allow the Board of Teaching to adopt rules establishing a two-year limited teaching license and a pathway to full licensure for candidates. The bill was sent to the House K-12 Education Finance Division.

The other bill, HF 3093, sponsored by Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul, would direct the Board of Teaching to approve qualified programs that enable a two-year license under legislative authority. The change would target districts or charter schools where there is a teacher shortage, a demonstrated achievement gap or where existing teaching staff does not reflect the racial or cultural student population. Language in the bill calls for a preliminary report in 2012 and a final report in 2014 by the Board of Teaching regarding the program's efficacy. This bill was sent to the House floor.

Today at the Capitol

8:30 AM
House Veterans Affairs Division
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Lyle Koenen
Agenda: HF2684 (Haws) Surviving spouse and children of a deceased veteran educational benefit eligibility broadened.
HF2621 (Doty) Higher education benefit eligibility requirement eliminated for
surviving spouse and children of a deceased veteran who dies as a result of military service.
HF2672 (Newton) Transit fee exemption provisions clarified for veterans with
service-connected disabilities.
HF2674 (Newton) Veterans of Foreign Wars Day designated as May 28.

9:30 AM *Note Room Change*
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold/Rep. Mary Murphy
Room 123 Capitol
Agenda: SF2499 / HF2953 (Betzold/Murphy, M.) TRA; Financial sustainability measures.
SF2573 / HF2952 (Betzold/Murphy, M.) MSRS; Financial sustainability measures.
SF2631 / HF2999 (Betzold/Murphy, M.) PERA; Financial sustainability measures.
SF2672 (Betzold) PERA-P&F; MPPOA-recommended financial sustainability measures.
SF2404 / HF2951 (Pappas/Kahn) SPTRFA; Increasing benefits and state aid, revising fiduciary provisions and large plan investment authority.
SF506 / HF592 (Betzold/Thissen) Teacher plans benefit increase.
HFxxxx (Murphy, M.) DTRFA; Financial sustainability measures.

Looking Ahead

Monday, March 1


11:00 AM
Senate in Session

11:30 AM
House in Session

12:30 PM
Senate Business, Industry and Jobs
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. James P. Metzen
Agenda: Recommendations from the Minnesota Science and Technology Initiative.

2:45 PM
House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba
Agenda: HF2684 (Haws) Surviving spouse and children of a deceased veteran educational benefit eligibility broadened.
HF2672 (Newton) Transit fee exemption provisions clarified for veterans with service-connected disabilities.
SF2475 (Newton) Veterans of Foreign Wars Day designated as May 28.
HF2621 (Doty) Higher education benefit eligibility requirement eliminated for surviving spouse and children of a deceased veteran who dies as a result of military service.
HF3101 (Doty) Minnesota "Support our Troops" account eligible money use expanded.

3:00 M
Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Ann H. Rest
Agenda:
S.F. 2397-Prettner Solon: Duluth Spirit Mountain recreation area authority membership expansion.
S.F. 2286-Olseen: State building projects nonhazardous construction and demolition waste recycling requirement.
S.F. 2518-Rest: Open meeting law modification.
S.F. 2644-Betzold: Minneapolis employees retirement fund (MERF) administrative functions transfer to the public employees retirement association (PERA); MERF consolidation account in PERA establishment and operation provisions.

Tuesday, March 2

8:30 AM
House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Gene Pelowski
Agenda: HF2899 (Pelowski) Data practices and open meetings law violations provided an administrative remedy, civil penalties provided, and money appropriated.
HF3108 (Winkler) Elections provisions modified.

10:30 AM
House Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Bill(s) Added
Agenda: HF3079 (Hortman) Permitting efficiency provided, and environmental review
provisions modified.
HF3205 (Mahoney) Preference created for community banks and credit unions for
the state's general revenue account, state depository accounts required to be held in community banks or credit unions, and a study required of possible further use of community banks and credit unions by the state and municipalities.
HF2839 (Bunn) Minnesota entrepreneur virtual assistance network authorized,
and money appropriated.
HF2849 (Norton) Minnesota and Wisconsin small business start-ups comparative
study of state laws provided.
HF2750 (Davnie) Small business investment tax credit provided.
HF37 (Mullery) Research credit extended to individual income tax, portion of credit made refundable, and money appropriated.
HFXXXX (Downey) Fast track small business formation and registration
HFXXXX (Rosenthal) Research and development tax credit
Presentation by the Small Business Caucus

1:00 PM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities budget hearing

Wednesday, March 3


8:30 AM
Joint Senate Hearing: Committee on Taxes; Committee on Finance
Room: 15 Capitol
Chairs: Sen. Thomas M. Bakk, Sen. Richard J. Cohen
Agenda: 2009 February Economic Forecast overview.

8:30 AM
House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Gene Pelowski
Agenda: (Thissen) Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund; administrative functions transferred to the Public Employees Retirement Association, consolidation account created within the Public Employees Retirement Association, and money appropriated.
HF2557 (Kahn) State Webmaster position established, and state chief information officer required to develop standards for enhanced public access to state electronic records.
Bills will be heard that were approved at the Local Government Division meeting on 3/1/2010.

2:45 PM
House K-12 Education Finance Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda:
HF2751 (Morgan) Students who do not pass the reading and language arts GRAD allowed to retake the test in paper-and-pencil format.
HF2880 (Kath) Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma requirement for retakes amended.
HF3123 (Morgan) K-12 special education third-party billing process made more cost effective.

6:30 PM
Joint Committee: Finance and Ways and Means Committees
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chairs: Rep. Lyndon Carlson, Rep. Loren Solberg
Agenda: Presentation of February forecast

Friday, March 5


10:00 AM
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Room: 107 State Capitol
Chairs: Rep. Mary Murphy, Sen. Don Betzold
Agenda: TBA

11:00 AM
Legislative Audit Commission Topic Select Subcommittee
Room: 318 State Capitol
Chair: Rep. Rick Hansen
Agenda: Working session to select 8-10 evaluation topics for further consideration by the subcommittee

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