Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Budget reduction bill moves; Senate hears about system; President to give state of union speech tonight

Yesterday at the Capitol
House Ways and Means committee members heard the budget reduction bill yesterday morning that cuts almost $1 billion from the state deficit. The proposal includes a cut of $23 million to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system's base each year, and members spoke about how this cut will affect the campuses in their districts. Rep. Lyndon Carlson, DFL-Crystal, asked about the tuition increases over the years and said we cannot continue to increase tuition and cut faculty and staff. He said during this time of cuts, there have been huge increases in enrollment at the two-year institutions.

The bill exempts the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system from the further $200 million cuts designated to the commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget to make, but it does not exempt the Office of Higher Education, which oversees the state grant.

The provision that freezes state workers' salaries was amended into the bill. The bill passed by a vote of 18-13 and was sent to the floor. The Senate will hear the bill Wednesday morning.

Also yesterday, Senate Higher Education committee members heard about the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system from Chancellor Jim McCormick, Board Chair Scott Thiss, President Kevin Kopischke, Alexandria Technical and Community College and President Richard Davenport, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Thiss said that one of the biggest questions legislators face is how will Minnesota best prepare for a return to economic prosperity. Thiss said the colleges and universities play an important role in this with campuses located throughout the state. Each year, the system produces nearly 35,000 graduates, of which eighty percent of them stay in Minnesota to work or continue their education.

Legislators were interested in learning more about the system's open admissions policy at the two-year colleges and how that relates to being prepared for college. Many Senators were interested in learning more about the Getting Prepared report on remedial education recently released. The report can be found here.

Today at the Capitol
President Obama will address the nation tonight in a joint session of Congress when he delivers the State of the Union.

8:15 AM
House Education Reform
Room: Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: Teacher Performance Assessment Overview
Karen Balmer, Board of Teaching, Executive Director
Dr. Misty Sato, University of Minnesota, College of Education & Human Development, Department of Curriculum & Instruction

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chairs: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) Department Overview:
Jim Schowalter, Commissioner
Lori Mo, Assistant Commissioner, Accounting Services
Kristin Dybdal, Assistant Commissioner, State Budget Director
Judy Plante, Assistant Commissioner, State Human Resources
Nathan Moracco, Director State Employee Insurance (SEGIP)
MMB will also give an overview and answer questions on the recently released "Workforce 2010" report.

10:15 AM
House Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Rod Hamilton
Agenda: Board of Animal Health - overview of activities and budget
AURI - overview

10:30 AM
Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Geoff Michel
Agenda: Overview of IRRRB/Introduction of Commissioner Tony Sertich
S.F. 1-Michel: Discussion of SF 1.

12:30 PM
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: State Office Building Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Overview of Private Higher Education in Minnesota:
Minnesota Private College Council
Minnesota Career College Association

12:30 PM
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Pat Garofalo
Agenda: Testimony on legislative priorities
Minnesota School Boards Association: Grace Keliher and Kirk Schneidawind
Minnesota Early Learning Foundation: Laurie Davis

1:00 PM
Senate Agriculture and Rural Economies
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Doug Magnus
Agenda:
Summary of the Department of Agriculture Livestock Investment Grant Program
Presentation by Minnesota Farm Bureau
Presentation by Minnesota Farmers Union
Overview of the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI)
Overview of the NextGen Energy Board

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda:
Testimony on mandate relief
S.F. 56-Thompson: School safe schools levy set aside requirement removal; school district and charter school salary freeze imposition; staff development reserved revenue and school district contract deadline and penalty repeal.

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, January 26

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: Panel discussion on innovation and transformation opportunities in government.
This is a follow up discussion on the December 2010 Minnesota Commission on Service Innovation Report. Details on the panel participants will be updated as available.

8:30 AM
Senate Finance
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Claire A. Robling
Agenda: S.F. 60-Robling: 2010 legislative-enacted budget reductions extended

8:30 AM
Senate Committee on Taxes
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Julianne E. Ortman
Agenda: Global competitiveness testimony and presentations

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda: HF173 (Peppin) Sunset Commission created, and sunset and review of state agencies provided.

12:30 PM
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Pat Garofalo
Agenda: Testimony on legislative priorities:
Center for School Change
Joe Nathan, Director
Charter School Partners
Brian Sweeney, Director

1:00 PM
Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Mike Parry
Agenda:
Department of Administration Overview
Greg Hubinger, Director Legislative Coordinating Commission

3:00 PM
Senate Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle Fischbach
Agenda: Minnesota State Grant Program Overview from Minnesota Office of Higher Education and follow-up information from Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda:
S.F. 55-Hann: Charter school authorizer approval deadline modification.
S.F. 69-Olson, G.: Home schools mandates and reporting requirements reduction.

4:30 PM
House in Session

Thursday, January 27
8:15 AM
House Education Reform
Room: Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: HF115 (Barrett) School district January 15 deadline repealed by which a collective bargaining agreement must be reached or face a state aid penalty.
HF92 (Downey) Teacher contract deadline aid penalty repealed.

8:30 AM
Joint Senate Meeting: Committee on Finance; Committee on Taxes
Room: 15 Capitol
Chairs: Sen. Claire A. Robling, Sen. Julianne E. Ortman
Agenda:
State Demographics, Presenter - Tom Gillaspy, State Demographer
Tax Expenditure Reports, Presenter - Dr. Paul Wilson, Research Director, MN Dept of Revenue

10:15 AM
House Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Rod Hamilton
Agenda: University of Minnesota:
Dean of Veterinarian School
Dean of Agriculture School
Dean of Extension
MARL - brief introduction and explanation

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda: HF110 (Kahn) Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement membership increased.
Department of Administration overview:
Acting Commissioner Ryan Church

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

12:30 PM
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: State Office Building Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Legislative Reports from the Office of Higher Education:
Achieve Scholarship Program
Intervention for College Attendance Program (ICAP)
Reducing Textbook Costs

12:30 PM
House Education
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Pat Garofalo
Agenda: HF88 (Doepke) Student health personnel set-aside removed.
HF63 (Garofalo) Teacher licensure provisions amended, alternative teacher preparation program and limited-term teacher license established, and report required.

1:00 PM
Senate Agriculture and Rural Economies
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Doug Magnus
Agenda:
Summary of the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) program
Presentation from the University of Minnesota


Friday, January 28
2:00 PM
Joint Meeting: Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth
Room: Hibbing Community College
Chairs: Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, Sen. Geoff Michel
Agenda: Discussion on environmental permitting/jobs and economic growth

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