Bonding negotiations continue; February Forecast released tomorrow

While legislative leaders and the governor continue to negotiate the bonding bill, a big focus this week will also be on the budget. Minnesota Management and Budget will release the February Economic Forecast tomorrow with a press release at 11:15 a.m. at the Capitol. Also tomorrow, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is scheduled to discuss the system's budget in the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division.

Today at the Capitol

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

11:30 AM
House in Session

12:30 PM
Senate Business, Industry and Jobs
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. James P. Metzen
Agenda: Recommendations from the Minnesota Science and Technology Initiative.

2:45 PM
House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba
Agenda:
HF2672 (Newton) Transit fee exemption provisions clarified for veterans with service-connected disabilities.
SF2475 (Newton) Veterans of Foreign Wars Day designated as May 28.
HF2621 (Doty) Higher education benefit eligibility requirement eliminated for surviving spouse and children of a deceased veteran who dies as a result of military service.
HF3101 (Doty) Minnesota "Support our Troops" account eligible money use expanded.

3:00 M
Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Ann H. Rest
Agenda:
S.F. 2397-Prettner Solon: Duluth Spirit Mountain recreation area authority membership expansion.
S.F. 2286-Olseen: State building projects nonhazardous construction and demolition waste recycling requirement.
S.F. 2518-Rest: Open meeting law 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.


Looking Ahead

Tuesday, March 2

8:30 AM
House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Gene Pelowski
Agenda: HF2899 (Pelowski) Data practices and open meetings law violations provided an administrative remedy, civil penalties provided, and money appropriated.
HF3111 (Winkler) Ballot board use required to process absentee ballots, absentee ballots permitted to be counted starting on the fourth day prior to election, and other absentee ballot processing procedures modified.

10:30 AM
House Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda: HF3079 (Hortman) Permitting efficiency provided, and environmental review
provisions modified.
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.
HF2839 (Bunn) Minnesota entrepreneur virtual assistance network authorized,
and money appropriated.
HF2849 (Norton) Minnesota and Wisconsin small business start-ups comparative
study of state laws provided.
HF2750 (Davnie) Small business investment tax credit provided.
HF37 (Mullery) Research credit extended to individual income tax, portion of credit made refundable, and money appropriated.
HFXXXX (Downey) Fast track small business formation and registration
HFXXXX (Rosenthal) Research and development tax credit
Presentation by the Small Business Caucus

10:30 AM
House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Al Juhnke
Agenda: Dairy Day on the Hill. Presentation by the Minnesota Milk Producers.
Lutheran Social Services C.O.R.E. Program. Case management, outreach, referral and education services for veterans, military members and their families.
NexGen Energy Board Report.

11:15 AM
Minnesota Management & Budget press conference to release the February Economic Forecast
Room: 15 Capitol

12:30 PM
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandra L. Pappas
Agenda: To be announced.

1:00 PM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities budget hearing
James McCormick, Chancellor
Laura King, Vice Chancellor for Finance

3:00 PM
Senate Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon
Agenda:
S.F. 355-Koch: Nuclear power plant certificate of need issuance prohibition elimination.
*Due to limited seating in room 123, this hearing will be a ticketed event. Tickets may be procured from a Sergeant outside of room 123 between 2:00 and 3:00pm. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.


Wednesday, March 3

8:30 AM
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF2106 (Bly) Alternative learning centers and charter schools five-year pilot program established to identify systemic improvement measures to best serve eligible students, and money appropriated.
HF3157 (Mahoney) Parent notification of child maltreatment in a school facility modified, mental health assessment required of teachers disciplined for child maltreatment, teaching license revoked of repeat child maltreatment offenders, and district policy required for educating employees about mandatory child maltreatment reporting.
HF2986 (Hornstein) Responsible family life and sexuality education program created. (pending referral from Health and Human Services Policy Committee)
Meeting Documents: Author's amendment to HF3175

8:30 AM
Joint Senate Hearing: Committee on Taxes; Committee on Finance
Room: 15 Capitol
Chairs: Sen. Thomas M. Bakk, Sen. Richard J. Cohen
Agenda: 2009 February Economic Forecast overview.

8:30 AM
House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Gene Pelowski
Agenda: (Thissen) Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund; administrative functions transferred to the Public Employees Retirement Association, consolidation account created within the Public Employees Retirement Association, and money appropriated.
HF2557 (Kahn) State Webmaster position established, and state chief information officer required to develop standards for enhanced public access to state electronic records.
Bills will be heard that were approved at the Local Government Division meeting on 3/1/2010.

10:30 AM
House Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda: TBD

2:45 PM
House K-12 Education Finance Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda:
HF2751 (Morgan) Students who do not pass the reading and language arts GRAD allowed to retake the test in paper-and-pencil format.
HF2880 (Kath) Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma requirement for retakes amended.
HF3123 (Morgan) K-12 special education third-party billing process made more cost effective.

6:30 PM
Joint Committee: Finance and Ways and Means Committees
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chairs: Rep. Lyndon Carlson, Rep. Loren Solberg
Agenda: Presentation of February forecast

Thursday, March 4

8:30 AM
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani Agenda: HFXXXX (Newton) Advisory task force on school desegregation and integration.
Additional bills or topics may be added.
Meeting Documents: HFXXXX (Newton) Advisory task force on school desegregation and integration.

12:30 PM
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandra L. Pappas
Agenda: To be announced.

1:00 PM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: HF2570 (Anzelc) Douglas J. Johnson economic protection trust fund and the Ironworld Discovery Center renamed.
DEED bills:
HFxxxx Obermueller relating to unemployment insurance; proving for an extension
HFxxxx Obermueller relating to workforce development; modifying unemployment insurance; clarifying workforce centers duties and responsibilities

2:45 PM
House K-12 Education Finance Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: HFXXXX (Garofalo) Governor's supplemental K-12 education funding provisions

3:00 PM
Senate Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon
Agenda: S.F. 355-Koch: Nuclear power plant certificate of need issuance prohibition elimination.
*Due to limited seating in room 123, this hearing will be a ticketed event. Tickets may be procured from a Sergeant outside of room 123 between 2:00 and 3:00pm. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

Friday, March 5

10:00 AM
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Room: 107 State Capitol
Chairs: Rep. Mary Murphy, Sen. Don Betzold
Agenda: TBA

11:00 AM
Legislative Audit Commission Topic Select Subcommittee
Room: 318 State Capitol
Chair: Rep. Rick Hansen
Agenda: Working session to select 8-10 evaluation topics for further consideration by the subcommittee

1:00 PM
House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: (Mariani) Prekindergarten through grade 12 funding provided, including general education, education excellence, special programs, and early childhood education.
The presentation of HF3163 will be information-only.