Senate Finance begins crafting budget; Capital investment meets tonight

Yesterday at the Capitol

The Senate Finance committee heard omnibus finance bills, including higher education, yesterday morning. Committee members held off on voting on the higher education bill until further discussions are had with the Office of Higher Education regarding reciprocity with North Dakota. The bill will be before the Finance committee Wednesday morning with an amendment detailing the $1.7 million in savings from the reciprocity program. The committee is expected to pass the bill and roll it into the supplemental budget bill.


Today at the Capitol

Note schedules are changing and will continue to change throughout the week. A new addition to today's schedule is a meeting of the capital investment working group this evening at 6:00.

8:30 AM
Senate Education
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
Agenda:
MDE Presentation: The ACCESS System: Achieving College and Career Readiness for Every Student's Success
S.F. 3110-Wiger: High school assessments for college and career readiness determination.
S.F. 2610-Anderson: Graduation required assessment for diploma (GRAD) language arts and reading paper-and-pencil format for retaking test authorization.
S.F. 3045-Wiger: Prekindergarten through grade 12 education policy provisions modifications; general education, education excellence, special programs and early childhood education.

8:30 AM
*Note: The committee will recess at 10:00 AM and reconvene at 6:30 PM in the Basement Hearing Room.
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF2986 (Hornstein) Responsible family life and sexuality education program created.
HFXXXX (Doepke) Board of teaching rulemaking authorized.
HF2995 (Tillberry) Diagnosis qualifications of attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder expanded.
HF3267 (Newton) Advisory task force established on school desegregation and integration.
HFXXXX (Newton) Clarifying requirements for a conciliation conference; MDE directed to amend two special education rules.
HF2962 (Fritz) Minnesota Academy for the Deaf and Minnesota Academy for the Blind provided trial placement.
HFXXXX (Benson) School district mandates reduced.
Meeting Documents: HFXXXX (Doepke) Board of teaching rulemaking authorized.
HFXXXX (Newton) Clarifying requirements for a conciliation conference

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: HF3216 (Masin) Report required on at-risk businesses and a fast-action economic response team created.
HF3119 (Mullery) Minority Workforce Collaborative funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF3324 (Brynaert) Minnesota investment fund expanded, and construction mitigation pilot program grants restriction removed.

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

12:30 PM
House in Session

12:30 PM
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandra L. Pappas
Agenda:
S.F. 2822-Clark: Minnesota state colleges and universities (MnSCU) credits transfer regulation.
S.F. XXXX-Pappas: Office of Higher Education Policy Bill.
Minnesota Home Grown Initiative
S.F. 184-Pappas: Minnesota office of higher education interest rate protection agreements report requirement.

1:00 PM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Policy and Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda:
Jobs Bills hearing
Central Minnesota Manufacturing Association will present information on the needs of small manufacturing businesses
HF3037 (Rukavina) Manufacturing equipment loan program established for manufacturing businesses in the state, and revenue bonds issued.
HF3228 (Rukavina)Renewable energy source conversion grant program created for municipal utilities and cooperative electric associations, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF2837(Knuth) "Green economy" definition amended to include the concept of "green chemistry".
HF2810 (Rukavina) Mandatory work and meal breaks modified.
HF3448 (Rukavina) Establishing pilot program to move campus reserves at some MnSCU institutions to local community banks

2:45 PM
House Capital Investment Finance Division
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Alice Hausman
Agenda
HF2182 (Gardner) Rating criteria required for capital project funding requests.
HF2909 (Anderson) State agencies required to track and report on the number of jobs created or retained as a result of capital project funding.
HF 3105 (Downey) Information required to determine return on investment for capital requests.
HF2590 (Hausman) Appropriation and bond authorization for capital investment projects procedures clarified.
HF3492 (Hausman) Higher education asset preservation and replacement funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated
Discussion on various bonding policies including provisions in bonding conference committee report as passed on House Floor.

2:45 PM
House K-12 Education Finance Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: HF3176 (Slocum) Charter school provisions modified, commission created, and charter schools permitted to borrow money.

3:00 PM
Senate Agriculture and Veterans
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Jim Vickerman
Agenda:
S.F. 2927-Doll: Veterans preference provisions modifications.
S.F. 2626-Erickson Ropes: Minnesota state academies bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 1657-Olson, M.: Environment and natural resources organization advisory committee establishment and task forces; state agencies powers and duties consideration requirements.

4:30 PM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Policy and Finance Division
Room: 400S State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: *Note changes*
Workforce bills plus any jobs bills remaining from morning
HF3127 (Davnie) unemployment insurance; modifying administrative, benefit, and tax provisions
HF3517 (Clark) Board of cosmetologists license fees modified and money appropriated
HF2946 (Kalin) Public infrastructure for bioscience businesses expanded to include clean energy businesses.
HF3133 (Loeffler) Workers' compensation benefits provided for domestic partners, domestic partners of military members in employee leave requirements included, and payment of wages due to a deceased employee to a surviving domestic partner provided.
HF3413 (Gunther) Board of Barber Examiners' license fees modified, and money appropriated.
HF3048 (Norton) Construction codes and licensing provisions modified, certain notice provisions modified, and criminal penalties imposed
HF3517 (Clark) Board of cosmetologists license fees modified and money appropriate

6:00 PM
Capital Investment Working Group
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chairs: Rep. Alice Hausman, Sen. Keith Langseth
Agenda: HF2700 - Omnibus bonding bill; capital improvement funding provided, previous appropriations modified, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/billnum.asp?Billnumber=HF2700&ls_year=86&session_year=2010&session_number=0

6:30 PM
House Licensing Division
Room: 500S State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Cy Thao
Agenda: HF3212 (Simon) Continuing education requirements exception provided for
licensed professional counselors.
HF1094 (Abeler) Surgical technologist employment qualifications required.
*Both HF3212 and HF1094 will be reconsidered; no testimony will be taken.
Meeting Documents:
HF3212A1

HF1094A4


Looking Ahead

Wednesday, March 10

8:30 AM
Senate Finance
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Richard J. Cohen
Agenda:
2010 Supplemental Budget
The following articles will be discussed:
Higher Education
Economic Development
State Government
Transportation
Public Safety

12:30 PM
Senate Business, Industry and Jobs
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. James P. Metzen
Agenda: *Note change*
S.F. 2758-Bonoff: Minnesota Entrepreneur Resource Virtual Network (MERVN) authorization and appropriation.
S.F. 2911-Berglin: Window fall prevention devices requirements modification.
S.F. 2944-Tomassoni: Contractor continuing education requirements modifications.
S.F. 1524-Scheid: Municipal enforcement of state building code for persons with disabilities provisions modification.
S.F. 2347-Latz: Employer overtime payment obligations modification.
S.F. 2874-Pogemiller: State government streamlining; departments of employment and economic development (DEED) and labor and industry abolishment; commerce department downsizing; task force and employee participation committee establishment.

12:30 PM
Senate State Government Budget Division
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold
Agenda:
S.F. 2386-Metzen: Labor agreements and compensation plans ratification.
S.F. 2750-Bonoff: Constitutional amendment for public debt to be incurred for public information technology systems, licenses and infrastructure.
S.F. 2506-Bonoff: Capital project funding report on jobs created or retained.

2:45 PM
House K-12 Education Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: HF3219 (Demmer) Independent School District No. 203, Hayfield, fund transfer permitted.
HF3303 (Garofalo) General education aid reduction restored for certain taconite distributions.
HF3342 (Simon) School districts authorized to use operating capital for certain costs associated with closing a school.
HF2813 (Faust) Full-time equivalent definition expanded for the purpose of the safe school levy.
HF3163 Prekindergarten through grade 12 funding provided, including general education, education excellence, special programs, and early childhood education. - fiscally related sections, information only

3:00 PM
Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Ann H. Rest
Agenda:
S.F. 2620-Bonoff: Service innovation commission establishment.
S.F. 2496-Rummel: Policy innovation and research legislative commission establishment.
S.F. 2511-Rest: Collaborative governance council establishment.
S.F. 2516-Rest: Minnesota coalition for the innovation and collaboration establishment.
S.F. 1880-Metzen: Innovation board reestablishment; providing for grants and appropriation.
S.F. 2735-Rest: Rehabilitation facilities, extended employment providers and day training and habilitation service programs, service contracts provisions modifications.
S.F. 2809-Higgins: Bond proceeds use by government and entities employment guidance and report requirements.
S.F. 2861-Clark: State government employees, legislators and constitutional officers public money expenditure prohibition to facilities making pornographic performances or images.
S.F. 2835-Sheran: City payments to towns following annexation.

5:30 PM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Policy and Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: Higher Education Bills
HF2657 (Rukavina) Revenue bond limit increased for the higher education facilities authority.
HF2766 (Welti) Educational data disclosure clarified.
HF3354 (Nornes Grant eligibility modified, loan limits and terms modified, private institution fees increased, high school-to-college developmental transition program, terms defined, funds transferred, and appropriations modified and reduced.
HFXXXX (McFarlane) OHE policy bill
HFXXXX OHE grant requirements

6:00 PM
Senate Health, Housing and Family Security
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. John Marty
Agenda:
Report from the Minnesota Board of Dentistry on Dental Therapist Program(s) and Foreign-Trained Dentists
SF 2912 (Berglin) Children's mental health policy provisions modifications
SF 2933 (Lourey) Nursing facility level of care criteria, technical changes, home care services providers requirements, home care bill of rights, personal care assistants enrollment option, elderly waiver conversion
SF 3027 (Berglin) Medical assistance eligibility, individualized eudcation plans, state health access program
SF 2974 (Lourey) Electronic health record technology provisions modification

6:00 PM
Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Ann H. Rest
Agenda:
S.F. 2950-Sparks: Jobs, family and economic development fund creation; agricultural, rural, early childhood, bioscience, medical technology, economic development, athletic, recreational, extracurricular activities and capital improvements funding mechanisms authorization.

Thursday, March 11

8:30 AM
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF3163 (Mariani) Prekindergarten through grade 12 funding provided, including general education, education excellence, special programs, and early childhood education.

1:00 PM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Policy and Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Omnibus Higher Ed and Workforce bills

2:45 PM
House K-12 Education Finance Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: TRA pension proposal

Friday, March 12

1:00 PM
House Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Lyndon Carlson
Agenda: HF1671 (Carlson) Supplemental Budget Bill