Budget reduction conference committee to meet; schedules posted

Today at the Capitol

The "Phase One" budget reduction bill will be conferred at 4:30 this afternoon (see below). Republican leadership has said they hope to have the work done by mid-week. As a reminder, conferees include:

House: Mary Liz Holberg, Bud Nornes, Bob Gunther, Jim Abeler and Greg Davids.
Senate: Claire Robling, Mike Parry, David Hann, Julianne Ortman and Michelle Fischbach

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

3:00 PM
Senate Higher Education
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle L. Fischbach
Agenda: Minnesota Career Colleges Association Presentation

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda: MINNESOTA'S FUTURE: World-class Schools, World-class Jobs
Charlie Weaver, Executive Director, Minnesota Business Partnership
Peter Hutchinson, President, Bush Foundation

3:00 PM
House in Session

4:30 PM (televised and webcast live)
Conference Committee on HF130
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chairs: Sen. Claire Robling and Rep. Mary Liz Holberg
Agenda: HF130 (Holberg/Robling) Fiscal year 2011 appropriations reduced, policies changed, and appropriation reductions made for fiscal years 2012 and 2013; and tax aid, credits and payment reductions provided

Looking Ahead

Tuesday, February 8

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: HF173 (Peppin) Sunset Commission created, sunset and review of state agencies provided, and money appropriated.
HF2 (Banaian) Zero-based budgeting required, and sunset advisory commission and sunset process established for state agencies.

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda:
HF89 (Benson) Voter picture identification required before receiving a ballot, voter identification card provided at no charge, and provisional balloting procedure established.
HF210 (Kiffmeyer) Voter picture identification required before receiving a ballot, identification cards provided at no charge, provisional ballot procedures established, election administration procedures specified, electronic polling place required, recount procedures enacted, and money appropriated.

10:30 AM
Senate Jobs and Economic Growth
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Geoff Michel
Agenda:
DEED Overview/Commissioner Mark Phillips
DEED Overview of Unemployment Insurance
S.F. 114-Pederson: Unemployment insurance eligibility modification for children of business owners and extended unemployment compensation federal state conformance.

12:30 PM
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Increasing Educational Achievement:
Susan Heegaard, Bush Foundation - Vice President, Educational Achievement
Peter Hutchinson, Bush Foundation - President

12:30 PM
House Jobs and Economic Development Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bob Gunther
Agenda: Agency overview from Mark Phillips - Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda: S.F. 170-Daley: Teacher candidates basic skills exam pass requirement.
Vallay Varro, Executive Director of MinnCAN

Wednesday, February 9

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: Minnesota State Arts Board Overview:
Sue Gens, Executive Director of the Minnesota State Arts Board
Minnesota Historical Society Overview:
Michael Fox, Director of the Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota Management and Budget presentation on recently released 2010 State Workforce Report:
Judy Plante, Assistant Commissioner for State Human Resources
Meeting Documents: Workforce Report

12:00 PM
Governor’s State of the State Address
House Chamber

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda: TBA

Thursday, February 10

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: HF4 (Downey) State workforce reduction required, and early retirement program created.

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda:
HF192 (Downey) Reinventing Government Employment Act proposed, public employee compensation freeze provided and future compensation method determined, state workforce reduction required, state employee gainsharing system established, state contract restrictions removed, and right to work constitutional amendment proposed.
HF102 (Mahoney) Minnesota science and technology program established.

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

12:30 PM
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Student and faculty testimony

Budget reduction bill passes; Alternative teacher license bill moves; Voter identification discussed

Yesterday at the Capitol

It was announced yesterday that lawmakers will recess for the traditional Easter/Passover break starting Monday, April 18 at 3 p.m. in preparation for the start of Passover at sundown. The recess will last through the following Monday after Easter. Committees are scheduled to resume Tuesday, April 26.

The Senate passed the first budget reduction bill, HF 130, off the floor yesterday by a vote of 37-27. Chief author of the bill, Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, said the bill includes cuts that have been voted on by senators previously. She said none of the cuts are easy to make or enjoyable, and said the colleges and universities have wisely planned for these cuts.

Senators talked about the impact the reductions would have on individual institutions. Sen. Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook, addressed the $185 million cuts to higher education and said there will be a very serious consequence to students when tuition rises. He said that Minnesota students have the sixth highest debt load in the nation. Skoe said, "Is it right in the first week of February to make it harder for our students to go to college." Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Brainerd, said lawmakers have a tough job to do, and everyone is going to be part of the sacrifice. "It's not going to be easy or popular," he said.

The bill now heads to conference committee to work through the differences between the Senate and House versions. House conferees will be: Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville; Rep. Bud Nornes, R-Fergus Falls; Rep. Bob Gunther, R-Fairmont; Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka; and Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston.

For the Senate, conferees include: Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan; Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca; Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie; Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen; and Sen. Michelle Fischbach, R-Paynesville.

Also passing the Senate floor yesterday was the alternative teacher licensure bill, SF 40, by a vote of 40-23. The House version, HF 63, passed the Ways and Means committee yesterday and heads next to the floor. Gov. Mark Dayton has remained largely noncommittal on whether or not he will sign the measure that provides for alternative paths to becoming a teacher.

Also meeting yesterday was the House Government Operations and Elections Committee, where members learned more about a pair of voter identification bills. HF 89, sponsored by Rep. Mike Benson, R-Rochester, and HF 201, sponsored by Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, would both require voters to produce photo identification at their polling place before receiving a ballot.

Benson said requiring photo ID would boost the public’s confidence in election results. Opponents of the bill argued the measure would wrongfully discriminate against senior citizens, students, disabled voters and those who frequently change residences.

The bills were laid over, and Committee Chair Joyce Peppin, R-Rogers, said a committee vote is planned for Feb. 8. Neither bill has a Senate companion.

Today at the Capitol

There are no higher education related hearings today.

Gov. Mark Dayton will hold a news conference with the Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Casselius at 9:15 a.m.

Legislative leadership will hold their weekly media briefing starting today at 10:00 a.m.

Looking Ahead

Monday, February 7

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

3:00 PM
Senate Higher Education
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle L. Fischbach
Agenda: Minnesota Career Colleges Association Presentation

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda: MINNESOTA'S FUTURE: World-class Schools, World-class Jobs
Charlie Weaver, Executive Director, Minnesota Business Partnership
Peter Hutchinson, President, Bush Foundation

3:00 PM
House in Session

Tuesday, February 8

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: HF173 (Peppin) Sunset Commission created, sunset and review of state agencies provided, and money appropriated.
HF2 (Banaian) Zero-based budgeting required, and sunset advisory commission and sunset process established for state agencies.

12:30 PM
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Increasing Educational Achievement:
Susan Heegaard, Bush Foundation - Vice President, Educational Achievement
Peter Hutchinson, Bush Foundation - President

12:30 PM
House Jobs and Economic Development Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bob Gunther
Agenda: Agency overview from Mark Phillips - Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

Wednesday, February 9

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: Minnesota State Arts Board Overview:
Sue Gens, Executive Director of the Minnesota State Arts Board
Minnesota Historical Society Overview:
Michael Fox, Director of the Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota Management and Budget presentation on recently released 2010 State Workforce Report:
Judy Plante, Assistant Commissioner for State Human Resources
Meeting Documents: Workforce Report

12:00 PM
Governor’s State of the State Address
House Chamber

Thursday, February 10

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: HF4 (Downey) State workforce reduction required, and early retirement program created.

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

Higher education budget explained; Schedules posted

Yesterday at the Capitol
Senate Higher Education committee members received a briefing on the higher education budget from committee fiscal analyst Maja Weidmann yesterday afternoon. Weidmann told members that higher education makes up 7.6 percent of general fund spending. Senators were interested in learning more about tuition and the tuition increases over the last 20 years, particularly in relation to the state grant program. Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, compared the increase in state appropriation to the state grant program to tuition going up.

Today at the Capitol
8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: HF110 (Kahn) Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement membership increased.
Finish up Public Pension fund overview from January 18th:
Mary Vanek, Executive Director of Public Employees Retirement
Association (PERA); Laurie Hacking, Executive Director of Teachers Retirement Association (TRA); and Dave Bergstrom, Executive Director, or another representative of Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS)

8:15 AM
House Education Reform
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: Agency update and priorities from the Minnesota Department of Education - Commissioner Brenda Cassellius

8:30 AM
Joint Meeting: Senate Finance and Taxes
Room: 15 Capitol
Chairs: Sen. Claire Robling and Sen. Julianne
Agenda: State Budget Trends Study Commission Report presentation - Kevin Goodno, Co-Chair
State Rankings presentation - Mark Haveman, Executive Director Minnesota Taxpayer Association

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda: HF89 (Benson) Voter picture identification required before receiving a ballot, voter identification card provided at no charge, and provisional balloting procedure established.
HF210 (Kiffmeyer) Voter picture identification required before receiving a ballot, identification cards provided at no charge, provisional ballot procedures established, election administration procedures specified, electronic polling place required, recount procedures enacted, and money appropriated.
HF1 (Fabian) Environmental permitting efficiency provided, and environmental review requirements modified.
NOTE: The committee will only take testimony on HF89 and HF210 and will not take action.

11:00 AM
Senate in Session
Will take up SF 60 - Budget reduction bill

*No meeting
12:30 PM
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Will not be meeting

12:30 PM
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep.Pat Garofalo,
Agenda: Agency update and priorities
Minnesota Department of Education
Brenda Cassellius, Commissioner

3:00 PM
House in Session

4:00 PM (Note: Chair will announce start time on the House floor)
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Liz Holberg
Agenda: HF63 (Garofalo) Teacher licensure provisions amended, alternative teacher preparation program and limited-term teacher license established, and report required.
Meeting Documents: HF 63 A5 Amendment

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, February 9
12:00 PM
Governor’s State of the State Address
House Chamber