Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session
Legislative Update - March 16, 2018
Governor supports higher education in his state of the state address and supplemental budget

Governor Mark Dayton delivered his final State of the State address Wednesday evening to a joint session of the Minnesota House and Senate. In his speech, Dayton provided a preview of his 2018 priorities, including funding for higher education. He is recommending $10 million for Minnesota State in fiscal year 2019 for campus support. He also announced his intention to include extra funding through bonding for capital improvements on Minnesota State and University of Minnesota campuses.

Dayton said, “State government’s funding for higher education has also declined. In 2012, state support for the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State, and financial aid was, in real dollars, the lowest it had been since 1981. Once again, we have restored some of that loss, but we have still shifted too much of the costs of attending our state colleges and universities onto students and their parents.”

Regarding bonding, Dayton said, “Further damaging the future success of our colleges and universities is the chronic inadequacy of our state’s capital investments in their campuses. It’s almost impossible to provide world-class education in antiquated buildings with leaky ceilings, dilapidated bathrooms, worn-out exteriors, and in classrooms without advanced technologies and other learning aids.”

Regarding the Governor’s strong support of campus funding and bonding for Minnesota State, Chancellor Devinder Malhotra said, “We sincerely appreciate the tremendous support that Governor Dayton has always shown for higher education and the 30 colleges and seven state universities of Minnesota State. All of the supplemental campus support funding recommended by the Governor would go directly to our colleges and universities to support the success of our 375,000 students. This is a critical need for our 54 campuses to continue to be the key to developing the talent needed to grow Minnesota’s economy.”

The full text of Governor Dayton's speech can be  found here .

The statement from Minnesota State in response to Governor’s Dayton’s State of the State can be found here.

In addition to the $10 million campus support funding Dayton announced in his speech, he also included $8.5 million ongoing funding in his supplemental budget recommendation for Next Gen. Minnesota State is requesting $21 million to fund Next Gen, which would serve as the central technology system for the 37 Minnesota State colleges and universities. ISRS, the current student record system, was originally developed in the 1990’s to meet HR, accounting, and student records needs of the newly formed system. It is critical to replace ISRS so that colleges and universities can continue to serve students effectively and efficiently. Students deserve a system that enhances their educational experience in a way that ISRS was never designed to provide.

“Governor Dayton has once again shown tremendous leadership and support for the critical role that higher education plays in driving the growth of Minnesota’s economy,” said Devinder Malhotra, chancellor of Minnesota State. “Like his support for our capital and asset preservation projects and funding recommendation for our campuses, the technology infrastructure investment will provide our 37 colleges and universities the ability to improve the educational experience of our students so we can continue to serve our students effectively and efficiently. On behalf of our 375,000 students and 16,000 employees, we thank the Governor for his strong support of Minnesota State.”

The summary of Governor Dayton’s supplemental budget recommendations can be found here .
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Next Week at the Capitol

Monday, March 19

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

1:00 p.m.
House Veterans Affairs Division
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bob Dettmer
Agenda:
SF1703 (John Poston): July 16 designated as Atomic Veterans Day.
HF3387 (Jeff Howe): Veterans benefits services disclosure requirements modified.
HF3503 (Paul Torkelson): Disabled veterans' eligibility for homestead value exclusion expanded, and benefit eligibility for a deceased veteran's spouse modified.
HF3750 (Keith Franke): GI Bill statutory language recodified, and technical changes made.
HF3934 (Anna Wills): Military retirement pay subtraction expanded.
Minnesota Remembers Vietnam project update
Minnesota Medal of Honor project update
Minnesota Humanities Center Veterans Voices program update
Veterans Rest Camp project update
Camp Legionville project update
*SF 1703 was returned to the Committee during interim per House Rule 4.20. SF 1703 will be re-referred back to the General Register without additional testimony.

3:30 p.m.
House in Session

Tuesday, March 20

8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: HF3315 (Sondra Erickson): Prekindergarten through grade 12 education provided, including general education, education excellence, teachers, facilities and technology, nutrition, early childhood and family support, and self-sufficiency and lifelong learning.
**There will be a delete-all amendment to this bill. Another notice will be sent when that document is posted.

10:15 a.m.
House Government Operations and Elections Policy
Room: Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Tim O'Driscoll
Agenda:
HF3077 (Jason Metsa): Duluth; Seaway Port Authority membership modified.
HF2809 (Matt Grossell): Emergency operations and continuity of government provisions amended; and adoption of emergency operations and continuity of government plan by the legislative branch, judicial branch, and state constitutional officers required.
HF3001 (John Poston): Service cooperatives included in definition of governmental units for purposes of joint powers.
HF3296 (Debra Kiel): Crimes against vulnerable adults working group established, report required, and money appropriated.
HF3217 (Bob Loonan): Pari-mutuel horse racing provisions relating to licensing and regulation modified.
HF3557 (Dale Lueck): Environmental assessment worksheet exemptions for recreational trails expanded.
HF3463 (John Petersburg): Motor vehicle titling and registration provisions modified.
HF3376 (Bob Vogel): State auditor required to adopt rules related to the review of audits conducted by CPA firms.
HF3032 (Sandy Layman): Transportation network companies regulated.
HF3273 (Tony Albright): Metropolitan Council governance modified, and Transportation Advisory Board eliminated.
HF3477 (Matt Bliss): Purple Heart City or Purple Heart County designation authorized.
HF3608 (Cindy Pugh): Hennepin County competitive bidding modified.
HF7 (Jim Nash): Metropolitan Council member staggered terms provided.
HF3570 (Jim Nash): MN.IT Services duties modified, and legislation to recodify chapter 16E required.
HF2475 (Julie Sandstede): Central Iron Range Sanitary Sewer Board appointment permitted.

1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle Fischbach
Agenda: The committee will consider a delete-all amendment to S.F.2611
S.F. 2611-Fischbach: University of Minnesota (U of M) board of regents election process modification

5:30 p.m.
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Room: 1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Julie Rosen
Agenda: TBA

Thursday, March 22

10:15 a.m.
House Government Operations and Elections Policy
Room: Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Tim O'Driscoll
Agenda:
HF3372 (Bud Nornes): University of Minnesota Board of Regents member election process modified, and recommendations by congressional district legislative delegation provided.
HF3710 (Greg Davids): Duluth; regional exchange district for development purposes authorized.
HF2953 (Peggy Scott): Chapter 13 responsibilities transferred from administration commissioner to the Office of Administrative Hearings, administrative remedy under chapter 13 modified, and money appropriated.
HF1440 (Dave Baker): Opiate stewardship program established, report required, and money appropriated.
HF3806 (Roz Peterson): State elections campaign account modified, public subsidy program access expanded, and political party designations on state income and property tax return forms eliminated.
HF3688 (Tim O'Driscoll): Energy improvements program modified, consumer protections for residential property assessed clean energy loans, and remedies provided.
HF3283 (Jim Nash): Best value contract requirements.
HF2868 (Jim Nash): State agencies required to dedicate a portion of information technology expenditures to cyber security enhancements.
HF3268 (Jim Nash): Local officials required to file a statement of economic interest.
HF3343 (Jim Nash): Attendance by interactive television requirements modified.
HF3837 (Tim O'Driscoll): Disclosure, independent expenditures, noncampaign disbursements, reporting requirements, coordinated and noncoordinated expenditures, and other campaign finance provisions amended; and new definitions added.
HF3771 (Bob Vogel): Fiscal note provisions effective date modified, and provisions governing the Legislative Budget Office modified.
HF3841 (Jim Nash): Uniform Municipal Contracting Law contract ranges increased.
HF3838 (Tim Mahoney): St. Paul; design-build process for a public works project authorized.
HF3723 (Steve Drazkowski): Exclusive representatives prohibited from requiring political contributions, and state prohibited from facilitating payroll deductions for political purposes.
Important Links:
  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) can be found HERE (updated March 2, 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 – J im.Grathwol@MinnState.edu
Melissa Fahning - Melissa.Fahning@MinnState.edu
Tina Firkus - T ina.Firkus@MinnState.edu