Supplemental budget heard

Yesterday at the Capitol

The House and Senate debated the supplemental budget bill on the floor yesterday. After countless amendments, the House passed the bill by a vote of 80-51 and the Senate passed the bill 43-23. The bill, HF1671/SF3223, would reduce the almost $1 billion budget deficit by $312 million through cuts to state agencies and cuts to county and city aid. The bill is the first of three budget-balancing measures the Legislature will address. The next two bills will cover K-12 education and health and human services. By addressing the reductions in phases, lawmakers are able to work toward addressing the deficit, while awaiting federal jobs and health care legislation that could eliminate much of that deficit.

The House included an amendment introduced by Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, that says the governor shall require the proposed budgets of each state agency to prepare a budget using zero-based budgeting. Each agency shall provide, among other things, a description of activities that comprise the agency, and a justification for the existence of each activity by reference to statute or other legal authority.

Conferees have been appointed to work through the differences in the bill and are scheduled to meet this evening at 6:30 in room 123 of the Capitol to walk through the spreadsheet and side-by-side comparison of the bills.

Conferees:
Senate:
Sen. Richard Cohen, DFL-St. Paul
Sen. Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis
Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing
Sen. Jim Vickerman, DFL-Tracy
Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook
House:
Rep. Lyndon Carlson, DFL-Crystal
Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington
Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul
Rep. Loren Solberg, DFL-Grand Rapids
Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington
Today at the Capitol

8:30 AM *Note time and room change*
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Room: 500S State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda:
HF3076 (Juhnke) Elevator provisions modified.
HF3293 (Clark) State building Code amended, and licensing requirements modified.
HF3533 (Rukavina) Joint powers agreements may not circumvent or impinge upon the rights of employees covered by certain collective bargaining agreements.
HF3024 (Murdock) Manufactured Home Building Code requirements modified
HF3386 (Swails) requiring performance guidelines for certain residential contracts

8:30 AM
House K-12 Education Finance
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: HF2887 (Drazkowski) Independent School District No. 858, St. Charles, disaster aid funding and declining pupil unit aid appropriation used to help the city cover revenue losses.
HF3404 (Mariani) Aid payment schedule modified for certain charter schools.
HF3539 (Benson) Charter schools revised evaluation requirements and changes in sponsorship fees postponed.
HF2867 (Newton) Child with a disability definition clarified and obligations to children with disabilities specified.
HF3487 (Newton) Conciliation conference requirements clarified, and Minnesota Department of Education directed to amend two special education rules.
HF2885 (Davnie) Capital project referendum ballot language modified in cases where the same level of taxing authority is renewed.
HF3237 (Huntley) Health care provisions changed relating to education plan requirements, health access program, private nursing coverage, children's health insurance reauthorization act, long-term care, asset transfers, clinics, dental benefits, prior authorization, drug formulary and administrative committees, preferred drugs, multisource drugs, health plans, claims against the state, and eligibility standards. - article 1 only

10:00 AM *Note time and room change*
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandy Pappas
Agenda: S.F. 3180-Sparks: Malt liquor and spirits tasting authorization at exclusive liquor stores; University of Minnesota stadium liquor licensing conditions modification.

10:30 AM
House State Government Finance Division
Room: 300N State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Phyllis Kahn
Agenda:
HF2758 (Lillie) Labor agreements and compensation plans ratified.
HF2815 (Bly) Fiscal note requirements modified.
HF3589 (Kath) Contracts for professional or technical services reporting threshold reduced.
HF1818 (Mariani) State commissioners required to provide a poverty impact statement on bills when requested by a legislator.
HF2613 (Hilstrom) Mediation provided prior to commencement of mortgage foreclosure proceedings on homestead property, and homestead-lender mediation account created.

12:30 PM
House in Session

12:30 PM
Senate in Session

6:30 PM
Supplemental Budget Bill Conference Committee
Room: 123 Capitol
Chairs: Rep. Lyndon Carlson, Sen. Richard Cohen
Agenda: Walk through spreadsheet and side-by-side
HF1671 (Carlson) Supplemental budget bill; state government funding provided for state agencies, departments, and commissions, and various other state government provisions modified, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

Looking Ahead
Wednesday, March 24

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

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.

12:30 PM
House in Session

Thursday, March 25

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.

10:30 AM *Note time and room change*
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