Thursday, March 18, 2010

House Ways and Means approved HF 1671, supplemental budget bill, Leaders working to resolve $1 bil budget deficit in 3 phases

Yesterday at the Capitol

The House Ways and Means committee met yesterday evening and approved HF 1671, the supplemental budget bill which includes the higher education article with a reduction of $10.5 million to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. This was the last committee stop, so the bill now heads to the House floor where it will be taken up Monday. In the Senate, the bill is scheduled to be heard this morning in the Tax committee.

The bill includes all the finance division's supplemental budget bills with the exception of K-12 education and health and human services, which will be addressed at a later time. The reductions to state agencies and programs in the bill total $209 million.

Legislative leaders are working to resolve the $1 billion budget deficit in three phases. The first phase is the supplemental budget bill that also includes the tax bill that cuts $105 million in state spending. These reductions come from county program aid, local government aid and the market-value homestead credit. Gov. Pawlenty is proposing to cut $250 million from the same areas.

Today at the Capitol

8:30 AM
Senate Taxes
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Thomas M. Bakk
*** SF3223 Added ***
Agenda:

  • S.F. 2926-Saxhaug: Cohasset tax increment usage for city repayment authorization.
  • S.F. 2970-Saltzman: Landfall Village tax increment financing (TIF) district duration extension.
  • S.F. 3056-Fischbach: Sauk Rapids tax increment financing (TIF) district extension.
  • S.F. 2938-Wiger: Oakdale tax increment financing (TIF) district duration extension.
  • S.F. 2829-Foley: Coon Rapids tax increment financing (TIF) districts duration extension.
  • S.F. 2480-Stumpf: East Grand Forks tax increment financing (TIF) use authorization; tourism facilities financing modifications.
  • S.F. 2987-Murphy: St. Charles tax increment financing (TIF) district establishment; sales tax exemption for construction materials for new and expanding businesses.
  • S.F. 2255-Rest: Tax increment financing (TIF) districts modification; Brooklyn Park, St. Paul and Fridley housing replacement provisions authorization.
  • S.F. 2467-Moua: St. Paul tax increment financing (TIF) district expenditure special rules provision.
  • S.F. 3223-Cohen: Supplemental appropriations and reductions for higher education, environment, natural resources, energy, agriculture, veterans affairs, economic development, transportation, public safety, judiciary and state government.

8:30 AM
House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Gene Pelowski
Agenda:
  • HF3131 (Mullery) Interstate Compact for Juveniles adopted.
  • HF2958 (Pelowski) Open Meeting Law changed.
  • HF3008 (Anzelc) Type III vehicle drivers requirements amended.
  • HF3279 (Huntley) Electronic health record technology provisions amended, administrative penalties provided, and money appropriated.
  • HF3168 (Nelson) Escort drivers of overdimensional loads allowed to control traffic, and commissioner of public safety directed to establish escort driver training and certification program.
  • HF2952 (Murphy) State employees retirement plan contribution rates increased, interest rates on refunds and certain benefit accrual rates reduced, vesting requirements and early retirement reduction rates increased, and certain amortization periods extended.
  • HF3281 (Murphy) Volunteer fire relief associations technical corrections made, break-in-service return revised, Minnesota deferred compensation plan service pension transfers authorized, payout defaults revised in survivor benefits, and corrections of certain special fund deposits authorized.

8:30 AM
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda:
  • HF3421 (Mariani) High school assessments established to determine college and career readiness.

10:30 AM
House in Session

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

12:30 PM
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandra L. Pappas
Agenda:
  • Budget Plan Report (March 15th Report)
  • Discussion on absence of federal stimulus funds
  • OLA Reports: Workforce Programs (MnSCU item); MnSCU Occupational Programs
  • Program Closure Discussion
  • S.F. 3205-Bonoff: College textbook price availability to students requirement.

1:00 PM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda:
  • HF737 (Rukavina) relating to economic development; providing certification for rehabilitation counselors for the blind
  • HF3616 (Newton) Waiver of overdue payments provided.
  • HF3533 (Rukavina) Joint powers agreements may not circumvent or impinge upon the rights of employees covered by certain collective bargaining agreements.
  • HF3629 (Poppe) Minnesota State Colleges and Universities reorganized, salaries adjusted, central office established, and age increased for free classes.

2:45 PM
House State Government Operations
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Phyllis Kahn
Agenda:
  • HF2577 (Carlson) Legislators allowed to call a special session, and constitutional amendment proposed.
  • HF2755 (Swails) Voting equipment and vote-counting equipment grant funding provided, grant terms and procedures specified, and money appropriated.
  • HF2690 (Sertich) Executive agency appropriations required to include proportionate reductions in expenditures on contracts, and requirements provided during periods of projected deficits.
  • HF2758 (Lillie) Labor agreements and compensation plans ratified.
  • HF2815 (Bly) Fiscal note requirements modified.
  • HF2866 (Carlson) Executive branch authority modified to reduce unexpended allotments.
  • HF3073 (Carlson) Amount of agency deposit receipts made technical changes, and use of fees clarified in the combined charities campaign.
  • 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.
  • HF3589 (Kath) Contracts for professional or technical services reporting threshold reduced.
  • HF2840 (Swails) Collaborative governance council established.

2:45 PM
House Education K-12 Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Agenda:
  • HF3043 (Kalin) Computer-adaptive assessments provided for general education students.
  • HF3267 (Newton) Advisory task force established on school desegregation and integration.
  • HF3163 (Mariani) Prekindergarten through grade 12 funding provided, including general education, education excellence, special programs, and early childhood education.

3:00 PM
Senate Judiciary
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Mee Moua
Agenda:
  • S.F. 2880-Moua: State Guardian Ad Litem board establishment.
  • S.F. 1233-Kubly: Massage therapists licensure and regulation.
  • S.F. 2427-Betzold: Trust and guardianship provisions modifications; distribution status clarifications; relationship and inheritance provisions modifications; emergency and temporary conservator appointment authority.
  • S.F. 2519-Anderson: Interim public utility rate approval process and standard for approval modification.
  • S.F. 2866-Sheran: Statewide trauma system modifications and repeal.
  • S.F. 2945-Murphy: Child pornography definition modification.
  • S.F. 3251-Berglin: Sexual psychopathic personalities treatment provisions modifications.
  • S.F. 3087-Senjem: Student maltreatment parent notification requirements modifications; disciplined teachers mental health screening requirement; teaching license revocations; mandatory child maltreatment reporting district policy development requirement.
  • S.F. 2773-Ingebrigtsen: Salvia divinorum sale or possession regulation and crimes definition.
  • S.F. 2928-Saltzman: Construction codes and licensing provisions modifications; unlicensed individual registration requirement.
  • S.F. 1886-Saltzman: Insurance claims for residential roofing goods and services regulation and roofing contracts right to cancel.
  • S.F. 891-Olson, M.: Uniform Arbitration Act.
  • S.F. 2999-Olson, M.: Children in need of protection or services provisions modifications.
  • S.F. 2952-Moua: Financial records release in response to subpoena authority reinstatement.
  • S.F. 2493-Moua: Crime of identity theft expansion to include scanning and reencoding devices.
  • S.F. 2328-Betzold: Civil commitment oaths and affirmation procedures modifications.
  • S.F. 2186-Betzold: Civil commitment county financial responsibility and prepetition clarification.
  • S.F. 3116-Scheid: Offender DNA collection authorization.
  • S.F. 2869-Higgins: Human rights act provisions modifications.

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, April 7

8:00 AM
Trustee Candidate Advisory Council
Room: 300N State Office Building
Chairs: Kent Eklund
Agenda:
  • Candidates interviewed for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees

Thursday, April 8

8:00 AM
Trustee Candidate Advisory Council
Room: 300N State Office Building
Chairs: Kent Eklund
Agenda:
  • Candidates interviewed for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees

Friday, April 9

8:00 AM
Trustee Candidate Advisory Council
Room: 300N State Office Building
Chairs: Kent Eklund
Agenda:
  • Candidates interviewed for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees

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