Bonding bill moves in House; Legislative deadline; Web site shows stimulus fund expenditures; Early graduation bill heard

Legislative Update
April 3, 2009

Bonding bill makes its way through the House

HF 855, the House bonding bill, worked its way through the committee process this week. The House Capital Investment, Finance, and Ways and Means committees all approved the $200 million measure. The bill now has one more stop, the House floor, before heading to conference committee to work through the differences with the Senate. Included in the House bill for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is $67.9 million; $30 million in HEAPR and the five vetoed projects from last session. Those projects include $11 million for the health and science center addition at Lake Superior College; $5 million for carpentry and industrial mechanical technology shops at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College; $4.98 million for the smart classroom center at Metropolitan State University; $13.3 million for the center for business and technology at North Hennepin Community College; and $3.635 million for the system wide classroom renovation initiative at Central Lakes College, Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Northland Community and Technical College, Pine Technical College and Rochester Community and Technical College.

Bill author Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, said the committee tried to work within the $200 million House target. Hausman said that although good arguments could be made for a larger bonding bill, the committee chose to include only "bread and butter" projects like asset preservation for state colleges and universities.

The House is expected to take the bill up on the floor either Monday or Tuesday. Once the bill passes, a conference committee will be formed to work out the differences between the House and Senate bills. The Senate bill includes $90 million for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, $20 million more than the House bill in HEAPR funding.

You may review the House bonding bill here.

You may review the Senate bonding bill here.

Bills move quickly to meet deadlines with legislative break approaching

The last couple weeks of session have brought about a flurry of bill activity. The Legislature met the first committee deadline last week, and the second bill deadline is right around the corner, Tuesday, April 7. This means all policy bills that met the first deadline need to pass out of committee in the other chamber by Tuesday. Both the House and Senate are beginning to put together their finance committee omnibus bills, including the higher education bills. We may see the higher education bills begin to take shape prior to the legislative break. The Legislature is scheduled to meet Monday and Tuesday of next week and then will begin its Spring Break April 8 - April 13. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, is predicting a "speedy Monday and Tuesday" packed with committee and floor action before breaking. The third committee deadline, when all omnibus appropriation bills must be passed out of committee, is April 16. Stay tuned.

Transparent Web site created on Minnesota’s use of federal stimulus funds

The Minnesota Management and Budget Department has created a Web site for the State of Minnesota’s coordination efforts of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. You can access it here. The goal of the site is a transparent process that allows people to understand how and where the federal dollars are being used in Minnesota.

Early graduation scholarship bill heard

The House K-12 Education Finance Division heard HF 1177, a bill that would create an early graduation achievement scholarship program. High school students who graduate one semester early could earn $2,500. If a student graduates two semesters early, they could earn $5,000 and $7,500 could be earned for graduating three semesters early. The language reads that the scholarship may be used at any accredited institution of higher education.

Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, the bill's author, said the bill could help make college more affordable for students and would save school districts money. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the division’s omnibus bill. The bill's companion, SF 1977, sponsored by Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, was introduced and referred to the Finance committee.

Midwest Higher Education Compact provides cost savings to member states

The Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division heard SF 155 this week. The bill, sponsored by committee chair Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, appropriates $95,000 each year of the 2010-2011 biennium to the Midwest Higher Education Compact. Sen. Pappas told committee members that the appropriation covers the dues the state pays to the compact. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

The Midwest Higher Education Compact includes 12 member states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Larry Issak, president of the Midwest Higher Education Compact, said the purpose of the compact is to advance Midwestern higher education through interstate cooperation and resource sharing. He said the compact is focused on cost savings, student access and policy research. Isaak reported that cost savings last year amounted to $31 million through technology, property insurance programs and contracts. The compact also provides for reduced tuition for students in eight participating states and although Minnesota tends to have more students coming to the state, the compact has saved Minnesota students $4.8 million in reduced tuition for other states.

Subcommittee recommends study of the Office of the Chancellor

The Legislative Audit Commission Topic Selection Subcommittee met today and chose the study of the "MnSCU System Office Services and Expenditures" as one of eight topics that it will recommend to the full Legislative Audit Commission for a program evaluation study. The Legislative Auditor polled state legislators about their preferences for study topics, and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities topic garnered the highest percentage of votes (60 percent) among the 15 possible topics. The Legislative Audit Commission will meet in the next couple weeks to approve the recommendations.

The topic selection background paper prepared by the Office of the Legislative Auditor, says, "An evaluation of MnSCU’s system office could be useful given the size of the system and the complexity of its delivery of systemwide services. However, MnSCU’s specific structure is unique among higher education systems and it could be difficult to determine benchmarks against which to measure effectiveness."

DREAM Act introduced in Congress

The House and Senate introduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act last week, which provides a pathway to permanent residency to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children (at the age of 15 or under), have lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years, graduated from high school and who attend college or enlist in the military for at least two years. The original DREAM Act was first proposed in Congress in 2001. In October 2007, the U.S. Senate fell short of the 60 votes needed to proceed to a vote.
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, a sponsor of the bill, said that the current immigration laws prevent thousands of young people from pursuing their dreams and fully contributing to the nation’s future. He continued to say that for many of these young people, the United States is the only home they know, and they are fully assimilated into American society.

U.S. Congress passes budget resolution

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities report that both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have passed their respective versions of the fiscal year 2010 budget resolution. The House approved its resolution April 2 by a vote of 233-196, and the Senate passed its budget later in the day by a vote of 55-43.

The House budget resolution provides $1.089 trillion for discretionary spending in fiscal year 2010. Discretionary funds are funds that Congress has control over through the appropriations process. In addition to designating the amount that will be appropriated, the resolution also calls on the Committee on Education and Labor to find $1 billion in savings over the next five years under the heading of "Investing in Education" that potentially could benefit higher education. The resolution also includes language establishing a deficit-neutral reserve fund for college access, affordability, and completion to make "college more affordable or accessible or that increases college enrollment and completion through reforms to the Higher Education Act of 1965 or other legislation, including increasing the maximum Pell grant award annually by an amount equal to one percentage point more than the Consumer Price Index."

The Senate also passed their budget resolution that provides for $1.081 trillion in discretionary spending. The Senate resolution includes similar reserve fund language allowing the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to produce legislation effecting changes to student financial aid.

The House and Senate budget negotiators will meet to resolve differences between the two resolutions. Congress has begun a two week recess in observance of the Easter and Passover holidays, therefore the earliest a meeting can take place is the week of April 20.

Here's What's Happening at the Capitol:

This schedule shows all meetings that we are aware of at the time of publication that MAY have an impact on the system. This schedule may change. Please watch the House and Senate schedules posted on the Legislature web site.

Monday, April 6

9:00 AM
Senate Taxes
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Thomas M. Bakk
Agenda:
S.F. 1328-Stumpf: Miscellaneous early childhood education and family, kindergarten through grade 12 and adult education provisions modifications and appropriations.
S.F. 1757-Carlson, J.: Eagan tax increment financing district duration extension authorization.
S.F. 1866-Foley: Coon Rapids tax increment financing district (TIF) duration extension.
S.F. 1881-Metzen: South St. Paul tax increment financing (TIF) district establishment.
S.F. 1895-Scheid: Tax increment financing (TIF) increments transfer to municipality to offset state aid reductions authorization.
S.F. 1993-Scheid: Tax increment financing (TIF) districts duration limit modification for housing and redevelopment districts.

12:30 PM
Senate Business, Industry and Jobs
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. James P. Metzen
Agenda:
S.F. 1450-Olson, M. A.: Oriented strand board facilities salable operating condition requirement.
S.F. 910-Tomassoni: Trucking industry employment classifications modification.
S.F. 1058-Tomassoni: Work-related purchasing preferences by public employers requirements.
S.F. 225-Scheid: Children's health toxic chemicals in products protection.
S.F. 1882-Saltzman: North Star Rising Science and Economic Development commission; Small Business Federal Grant Competitiveness center; Minnesota commercialization enhancement program; Biobusiness alliance.

12:30 PM
Senate State Government Budget Division
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold
Agenda:
SF 82 (Latz) Minnesota False Claims Act
SF 1153 (Pappas) Domestic partners health insurance eligibility
Governor’s budget recommendation for the Minnesota Governor’s office and budget recommendation for the Minnesota Legislature
*The division will release a working document which will become the Omnibus State Government bill.

1:00 PM
House in Session

2:45 PM
House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Al Juhnke
Agenda: HF 1122 (Juhnke) Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Omnibus Bill.
*Note - The delete all amendment will be available at this hearing. The bill will be amended and voted on the following day.

2:45 PM
House State Government Finance Division
Room: 300N State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Phyllis Kahn
Agenda:
HF0691 (Rukavina) Vacation donation program modified;
HF0715 (Newton) Disabled veteran owned businesses designated as targeted group businesses for purposes of awarding certain state and metropolitan agency contracts;
HF0938 (Reinert) State employees with disabled veteran status provided additional sick leave;
HF1053 (Simon) Public officials required to provide additional data to the secretary of state for use in maintaining the voter registration system, and automatic voter registration of applicants for a driver's license, instruction permit, or identification card provided, and certain notice requirements changed;
HF1113 (Morgan) Early voting authorized, and special elections provided in case of vacancies in nomination;
HF1218 (Lillie) State Contracts ratified;
HF1219 (Kahn) Health insurance benefit availability required for domestic partners of state employees if they are also made available to spouses;
HF1351 (Winkler) Absentee ballot requirements and provisions modified;
HF1463 (Davnie) Various filings and fees regulated and terms defined;
HF1671 (Carlson) Labor or employee organizations provisions modified;
HF1950 (Kahn) Digital radio conversion funding provided, and money appropriated;
HF1981 (Kahn) Minnesota Geospatial Information Office created;
HF2038 (Solberg) Office of Strategic and Long-range Planning established, additional revenue priorities in general fund forecasts modified, report required, and money appropriated;
HF2131 (Hansen) Environment and natural resources funding provided, and money appropriated;
HF2251 (Solberg) Federal stimulus oversight funding allocated for certain state agencies, money appropriated.

3:00 PM
Senate Economic Development and Housing Budget Division
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. David J. Tomassoni
Agenda:
S.F. 1610-Rest: Metropolitan livable communities fund accounts and right-of-way loan acquisition fund transfers for transit operating deficits.
S.F. 1764-Olson, M. A.: Minnesota business venture capital program and appropriation.
S.F. 2014-Kubly: Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota financial services expansion grant appropriation.
S.F. 292-Saltzman: Businesses investment company tax credit for emerging and start-up businesses.
S.F. 1640-Sheran: Minnesota state university, Mankato international renewable energy technical institute (IRETI) grant appropriation.
S.F. 1661-Bakk: Unlicensed contractors and subcontractors registration requirement.

3:00 PM
Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Ann H. Rest
Agenda:
S.F. 1257-Bakk: Obligations issuance and financing of public improvements terms and conditions provisions modifications.
S.F. 1481-Cohen: Strategic and long-range planning office independence, geographic and demographic analysis office transfer and appropriation.
S.F. 1882-Saltzman: North Star Rising Science and Economic Development commission; Small Business Federal Grant Competitiveness center; Minnesota commercialization enhancement program; Biobusiness alliance.
S.F. 702-Tomassoni: State employees vacation donation program modifications.
S.F. 1489-Ingebrigtsen: Central Lakes region sanitary district restructure as an elected body or dissolution.
S.F. 191-Betzold: Omnibus Pension Bill.
S.F. 1867-Betzold: Minnesota geospatial information office establishment.
S.F. 1436-Lourey, T.: Sex offender program provisions modifications.
S.F. 1297-Gimse: Minnesota management and budget department (MMB) data oversight clarification; management analysis revolving fund establishment.
S.F. 1982-Gerlach: State civil services employment vacancies veterans preference application, interview requirement and reporting requirements.

4:30 PM
House Civil Justice
Room: 300S State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joe Mullery
Agenda: HF354 (Hilstrom) Mortgage foreclosure proceedings notice and mandatory mediation required prior to commencement on homestead property, and homestead-lender mediation account created;
HF1396 (Smith) Domestic abuse; Courts authorized to include pets and companion animals in protective orders;
HF1795 (Ruud) Birthing center licensure established, liability limited for hospitals and physicians in certain situations, fees established, and licensed birthing centers designated as essential community providers.
HF127 (Holberg) Motor vehicle definition clarified in statutory provision deeming the driver to be the agent of the owner in case of accident;
HF1482 (Thissen) Estates subject to medical assistance claims modified;
HF804 (Thissen) Guardian and conservator governing provisions modified;
HF854 (Lesch) Customer liability for unauthorized use of lost of stolen cellular phones limited;
HF348 (Lesch) Law prohibiting sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, and coroners from practicing law repealed;
HF1268 (Paymar) Employee fitness and wellness activities authorized in state space;
HF930 (Wagenius) Classification of grants data by government entities proposed, regional parks foundation private donor gift data classified as private or nonpublic;
HF442 (Swails) Data release to legal representative provided;
HF1684 (Holberg) Background check notice and copy required, and terms defined;
HF1689 (Holberg) Data privacy provisions amended;
HF1930 (Holberg) Business screening service regulation amended;
HF1095 (Mullery) Agricultural research, monitoring, and assessment data classified;
HF1180 (Hortman) Data practice provisions changed;
HF1248 (Hortman) Access to data identifying victims or witnesses in active criminal investigations restricted;
HF1750 (Abeler) Human services licensing provisions changed, license disqualifications and background study requirements modified, and other changes made to programs and services licensed by the Department of Human Services;
HF1247 (Kalin) University of Minnesota; Private equity investment data classified.

Tuesday, April 7

8:00 AM
House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Gene Pelowski
Agenda:
HF723 (Murphy, M) 2009 omnibus retirement bill.
HF927 (Mahoney) Construction codes and licensing modified, high pressure piping profession provisions added, appropriation restrictions modified, and authority to adopt rules for obtaining boiler licenses extended.
HF866 (Hosch) School districts required to obtain employee health coverage through the public employees insurance program.
HF1278 (Sterner) County offices appointment and consolidation provided, subject to notice, hearing, and reverse referendum.
HF222 (Slawik) Multiple unit residences allowed certain persons for campaign and election purposes.
HF884 (Thissen) Medical supplies and equipment purchasing alliance created.
HF986 (Thissen) County maintenance of effort provisions amended for mental health provisions. HF834 (Kohls) State employee suggestion system established, money appropriated.
Pending action from the Local Government Division:
SF104 (Kelly) Cannon Falls library and fire station construction design-build contracts authorized.
HF1670 (Mariani) Municipality rent control provisions modified.
SF740 (Abler) Anoka County design-build contract process use for construction of intersection of U.S. highway #10 and county state-id highway #83.

8:30 AM
K-12 Education Policy
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF1080 (Norton) Comprehensive scientifically based reading instruction definition clarified, prekindergarten through grade six teachers requirements made, reading instruction assessment created, and Board of Teaching rules legislative review provided. (information only)

10:30 AM
House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Al Juhnke
Agenda: HF1122 (Juhnke) Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Omnibus Bill.

10:30 AM
House Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda: Presentation from the Science Initiative of Central Minnesota

12:30 PM
Senate Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Sandra L. Pappas
Agenda: Discussion of omnibus bill

1:00 AM
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tom Rukavina
Agenda: Meeting will be continued in the evening if the agenda is not completed in our regular time slot.
HF839 (Juhnke) Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory funding provided,
HF1194 (Downey) Green job incentives provided, green job opportunity building zones provided, small business investment company and job growth investment tax credits provided, tax benefits allowed, conforming changes made, terms defined, and biomethane energy projects allowed.
HF1447 (Otremba) Veterinarian education loan forgiveness program established
HF2071 (Clark) Summer programming provided for American Indian youth

2:45 PM
House State Government Finance Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Phyllis Kahn
Agenda:
HF0007 (Winkler) Laws prohibiting misuse of state funds clarified and strengthened;
HF0020 (Winkler) Web site required with a searchable database of state expenditures;
HF0557 (Severson) State procurement preferences authorized for veteran-owned small businesses including service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses;
HF0625 (Gardner) Public access to data allowed by state accounting and procurement systems;
HF1018 (Kalin) Public Web sites purpose specified, and state agencies required to include contact information on Web sites;
HF1519 (Kahn) Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board funding provided, money appropriated, fund carryover authorized;
HF1534 (Downey) Federal stimulus funds acceptance and expenditure conditions provided;
HF1665 (Swails) Education; Best practices center for shared services established;
HF2146 (Pelowski) Minnesota Management and Budget oversight clarified, management analysis revolving fund established, and money appropriated;
HF1744 (Hilty) Technology accessibility standards and advisory committee established.

3:00 PM
Senate Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Jim Vickerman
Agenda: S.F. 1779-Vickerman: Agriculture, veterans and military affairs appropriations.

4:30 PM
House Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Nora Slawik
Agenda:
HF1850 (Haws) Administration of training and employment functions reorganized, responsibilities transferred to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. (pending referral from Finance)
Walk through Omnibus Early Childhood Finance and Policy delete-everything amendment to HF1026 (Slawik) Early childhood education provisions amended. Discussion only.

Wednesday, April 8
Legislature is on Easter/Passover Break

Thursday, April 9
Legislature is on Easter/Passover Break

Friday, April 10
Legislature is on Easter/Passover Break

Monday, April 13
Legislature is on Easter/Passover Break

Tuesday, April 14
2:45 PM
House State Government Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Phyllis Kahn
Agenda: State Government Finance omnibus bill rollout: HF1781 (Kahn) General legislative and administrative expenses of state government provisions modified, and money appropriated.

Wednesday, April 15
10:30 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 500S State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Phyllis Kahn
Agenda: amendments to HF1781 (Kahn) General legislative and administrative expenses of state government provisions modified, and money appropriated.

12:30 PM
Senate State Government Budget Division
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold
Agenda:
S.F. 1036-Metzen: State labor contracts ratification.
S.F. 131-Bonoff: Investment board Iran holdings divestment requirement.
S.F. 1297-Gimse: Minnesota management and budget department (MMB) data oversight clarification; management analysis revolving fund establishment.
S.F. 1679-Bakk: Public employment retirement incentives.
S.F. 1889-Gerlach: State settlements and recovery payments to general fund.
S.F. 1113-Rummel: Legislative and citizen commission on the future of public education establishment and appropriation; Legislative Educational Analysis, Research and Navigation in the Next Generation (LEARNING) center establishment.
S.F. 1481-Cohen: Strategic and long-range planning office independence, geographic and demographic analysis office transfer and appropriation.
S.F. 1982-Gerlach: State civil services employment vacancies veterans preference application, interview requirement and reporting requirements.
S.F. 1053-Lourey, T.: Compulsive gambling services appropriation.