Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.                          
Legislative Update - February 26, 2018
Lawmakers begin the second week of the 2018 legislative session today. We can expect more committee action this week. The higher education committees in both the House and Senate will meet. In the Senate, Higher Education Finance and Policy committee members will receive a presentation on the University of Minnesota Regent Selection Process on Tuesday. On Thursday, Minnesota State will present a Developmental Education Report that was recently submitted to the Legislature. The report requirements from the Legislature included developmental education completion measures, and the development of a system wide developmental education plan. We will provide more information on this hearing and the report later in the week.

Over in the House, Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance committee members will receive a presentation on Tuesday from the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, as well as an overview presented by the Office of Higher Education.

Bonding is also moving this week. Minnesota State will present the system’s bonding request of $224.5 million to the House Capital Investment Committee tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in room 5 of the State Office Building.

Also this week, the February economic forecast will be released on Wednesday. This forecast will shape the governor’s supplemental budget request and the budget targets legislative leaders will create to craft committee bills. Legislative leaders have speculated the forecast will reflect a budget surplus. The press conference will be at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday in room 15 of the State Capitol.
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This Week at the Capitol

Monday, February 26

10:15 a.m.
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Knoblach
Agenda: Presentation by the Center of the American Experiment on the State of Minnesota’s Economy

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

1:00 p.m.
House Veterans Affairs Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Committee Chair:  Rep. Bob Dettmer
Agenda:   
Veterans Day on the Hill - Monday, March 12, 2018
Introduction of new Adjutant General Jon A. Jensen to Committee
HF2788 (Bob Dettmer) School counselors required to receive training in armed forces career options, school counselors required to inform students of armed forces career options, and school districts encouraged to grant military recruiters access to secondary students.
HF2869 (Jeff Howe) National Guard members provided access to information regarding state-sponsored life insurance program.
HF2907 (Jeff Howe) Data sharing permitted to administer the disabled veteran's homestead market value exclusion.
HF2908 (Anna Wills) Rosemount; U.S. Highway 52 designated as Warrant Office Dennis A. Groth Memorial Bridge.
Informational hearing on Department of Military Affairs bonding requests
Informational hearing on Department of Veterans Affairs bonding requests

3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Carla Nelson
Agenda: Minnesota school’s telecommunications status and Internet Access Equity Aid program

3:00 p.m.
Joint Meeting: Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance; Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Policy
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.

Chairs: Sen. Torrey N. Westrom, Sen. Bill Weber
Agenda:
State of Agriculture
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- Perry Aasness: AgriGrowth
- Dan Glessing: Minnesota Farm Bureau
- Gary Wertish: Minnesota Farmers Union
- Jeff Schmidt: Ag Country Farm Credit Services
- Marin Bozic: Dairy Foods and Marketing Economics, U of M
- Tim Waibel: MN Corn Growers Association
- MN Soybean Growers Association
- David Preisler: MN Pork Board
- Steve Olson: Turkey, Chicken and Egg

3:30 p.m.
House in Session

Tuesday, February 27

1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle Fischbach
Agenda: Presentation on the University of Minnesota Regent Selection Process. The committee will hear a presentation from non-partisan senate staff as well as members of the Regent Candidate Advisory Committee

1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda: Department of Human Services Overviews:
School-Linked Mental Health Grants
Intermediate School District Mental Health Innovation Grant Program (Laws 2017, First Special Session, Chapter 5)
Minnesota Department of Education Overviews:
Intermediate District and Cooperative Unit Staff Training for Level 4 Behavioral Issues (Laws 2016, Chapter 189)
Support Our Students Grants (Laws 2016, Chapter 189)
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Use of Compensatory Revenue and Safe Schools Levy Revenue for Mental Health Services

3:00 p.m.
House Capital Investment
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Dean Urdahl
Agenda:
Overview of Governor Dayton's 2018 bonding request by the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, Myron Frans and the Commissioner of the Department of Administration, Matt Massman.
Overview of the University of Minnesota’s 2018 bonding request.
Overview of Minnesota State's 2018 bonding request.

3:00 p.m.
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Presentation from Midwestern Higher Education Compact
Overview presented by the Office of Higher Education

3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Policy
Room: 1100 Minnesota State Building
Chair: Sen. Eric Pratt
Agenda: S.F. 2465-Anderson, P.: Educational child sexual abuse prevention curriculum expansion to include child sex trafficking prevention in academic standard.
S.F. 2455-Clausen: Teacher training to include dyslexia instructional strategies requirement.
S.F. 2352-Anderson, P.: Office of Legislative Auditor\'s April 2017 evaluation report of the
Minnesota State High School League recommendations implementation.

5:30 p.m.
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Room: 1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Julie Rosen
Agenda: SF2620 (Rosen)/HFxxxx (O’ Driscoll): 2018 Omnibus Retirement Bill, first consideration.
-LCPR staff overview
-Jill Schurtz, Executive Director, SPTRFA
-Jay Stoffel, Executive Director, TRA
-Doug Anderson, Executive Director, PERA
-Erin Leonard, Executive Director, MSRS
-Eric Nauman, Senate Fiscal Analyst

Wednesday, February 28

10:15 a.m.
House Agriculture Policy
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Paul Anderson
Agenda:
HF1831 (Loonan) Minnesota Wine Promotion, Education, and Development Council established; grant program established; and money appropriated.
HF2982 (Hamilton) University of Minnesota agricultural research data classified.
HF2938 (Backer) Agricultural fertilizer research and education fee, Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council, Minnesota agricultural fertilizer research and education program, and agricultural fertilizer research and education account extended by 10 years.
HF2884 (Anderson) Sales of off-sale alcoholic beverages excluded when determining a food handler license fee.

12:15 p.m.
February Budget and Economic Forecast released
Room: 15 Capitol
Agenda: MMB will present the February Economic Forecast

1:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Jeremy R. Miller
Agenda: Informational hearing regarding DEED’s regional economic development partnerships.

1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda: Minnesota Department of Education - Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Overviews

3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg
Chair: Sen. Carla J. Nelson
Agenda: Overview of ESSA funds and select academic improvement programs

Thursday, March 1
8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: MDE Presentation of the Summary of 2018 Legislative Reports   
HF2846 (Drew Christensen): Special education working group established, and report required.
HF3013 (Linda Runbeck): Teacher training required to enable a teacher to implement instructional strategies to meet the needs of students with dyslexia.

10:15 a.m.
House Government Operations and Elections Policy
Room: Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Tim O’Driscoll
Agenda: Pensions Overview:
-LCPR staff overview
-Jill Schurtz, Executive Director, SPTRFA
-Doug Anderson, Executive Director, PERA
-Erin Leonard, Executive Director, MSRS
-Jay Stoffel, Executive Director, TRA

1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle Fischbach
Agenda: Developmental Education Report review from Minnesota State
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Important Links:
  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) can be found HERE (updated Feb.26, 2018)
  • Committee schedules can be found HERE
  • Many committee hearings and floor sessions are streamed live via the web or broadcast on television. More information and a schedule can be found HERE

 
Government Relations team:
Jaime Simonsen –  Jaime.simonsen@minnstate,edu
Bernie Omann –  Bernie.omann@minnstate,edu
Jim Grathwol –  jim.grathwol@minnstate.edu
Melissa Fahning - Melissa.fahning@minnstate.edu