Budget committee mets into the night to craft supplemental bill

Yesterday at the Capitol

The budget conference committee assigned to work out an agreement on the supplemental budget bill met last evening. Fiscal analysts for the finance divisions, including higher education, reviewed their respective sections, pointing out similarities and differences between the Senate and House bills. The next meeting is expected to be Thursday, which will give the chairs of the different finance divisions the time today to meet and work through the bill differences. Thursday's conference committee is expected to be a long night. Co-chair Sen. Richard Cohen, DFL-St. Paul, expressed interest in having a final bill agreed upon by Friday this week, but acknowledged that weekend work might be necessary. We will continue to keep you updated on the status of the conference committee. The side-by-side comparison of the higher education section of the bill can be found here.

Today at the Capitol

8:00 AM
Senate E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
Agenda:
S.F. 2901-Bonoff: School districts and charter schools shared services grant program establishment and appropriation.
S.F. 2943-Rummel: Community-centered schools pilot project establishment.
S.F. 2670-Torres Ray: K-12 special education third-party billing process provision modification.
S.F. 3000-Saltzman: Charter school state aid payment schedule and cash flow adjustment.
8:30 AM *Note time and room change*
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Room: 500S State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: Higher Ed and Workforce Finance/Policy omnibus bill 2
HF3389 (Mahoney) Minnesota Science and Technology authority created, and money appropriate

8:30 AM
Senate Finance
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Richard Cohen
Agenda:
S.F. 364-Sparks: Drainage systems provisions modifications.
S.F. 2564-Anderson: Outdoor heritage appropriations.
S.F. 2386-Metzen: Labor agreements and compensation plans ratification.

9:00 AM
Senate Economic Development and Housing Budget Division
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. David J. Tomassoni
Agenda:
S.F. 2510-Sparks: Labor and industry licensing and fee modifications.
S.F. 2170-Scheid: Homestead-lender mediation requirement prior to mortgage foreclosure.
S.F. 1590-Sieben: Inflatable amusement equipment safety standards establishment.
S.F. 2895-Bonoff: Unemployment insurance administrative, benefit and tax provisions modifications; special state extended unemployment insurance program establishment.
S.F. 2310-Saltzman: Comparative study of state regulation affecting small business start-ups.
S.F. 3014-Saltzman: Minnesota Science and Technology Authority Act.
S.F. 2832-Saltzman: Construction codes residential written contact performance guidelines requirements; housing statutory warranties modifications and dispute resolution procedures provisions.
S.F. 2962-Sparks: Portable electronics insurance sale and termination regulation.

10:00 AM
Senate State Government Budget Division
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold
Agenda:
S.F. 2809-Higgins: State bond proceeds recipients requirements and electronic reporting requirement.
S.F. 2199-Olson, G.: Legislature size reduction and senate district division prevention.
S.F. 2471-Olseen: Declaration of trust and real property secretary of state filings 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.
S.F. 2573-Betzold: State, local, legislator, and hospital public employees retirement provisions modifications.
S.F. 3084-Carlson: Professional or technical services contract reporting threshold reduction.
S.F. 2354-Betzold: Data practices violations administrative remedies and civil penalties.
S.F. 2918-Betzold: Omnibus retirement bill.
12:30 PM
House in Session
12:30 PM
Senate in Session

Looking Ahead
Thursday, March 25

8:00 AM
Senate E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Stumpf
Agenda:
SF 2542 (Murphy) St. Charles disaster aid authorization
SF 3079 (Sheran) Postsecondary enrollment options program modified
SF 2550 (Kubly) School district contract deadline penalty for failure to reach a collective bargaining agreement one-time exemption
SF 3008 (Latz) School districts general education operating capital revenue use expansion for school closing costs
SF 2384 (Saltzman) School districts referendum equalizing factor increase; second tier referendum equalization elimination
SF 433 (Bonoff) School finance alternative facilities bonding and levy program modification

8:30 AM
House K-12 Finance Division
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: Governor's charter school property tax exemption proposal (see HF3306, article 6, section 2)
HF3421 (Mariani) High school assessments established to determine college and career readiness.
*Meeting canceled, rescheduled for April 6*

10:30 AM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: Higher Education Plans for FY2012-13 Budgets

12:30 PM
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandy Pappas
Agenda: TBA
12:30 PM
House in Session
At the call of the chair
Supplemental Budget Conference Committee on H.F. 1671
Room: 123 Capitol
Chairs: Sen. Richard J. Cohen and Rep. Lyndon Carlson
Agenda:
H.F. 1671-Cohen: Supplemental appropriations and reductions for higher education, environment, natural resources, energy, agriculture, veterans affairs, economic development, transportation, public safety, judiciary and state government.