Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.                                                  
Legislative Update - January 27, 2017
Minnesota State completes overview presentations to the House and Senate

This week, Minnesota State gave an overview presentation to the House and Senate Higher Ed. Committees. Both presentations featured the following speakers:

  • Board Chair Michael Vekich
  • Trustee Basil Ajuo
  • Chancellor Steven Rosenstone
  • President Merrill Irving, Hennepin Technical College
  • Brad Thorpe, faculty, Hennepin Technical College
  • Jordan Folstad, student in Automation Robotics program, Hennepin Technical College
  • Craig Kiffmeyer, Hennepin Technical College alumnus
  • Gary Lagro, Hennepin Technical College alumnus
  • Myron Moser, CEO, Hartfiel Automation, and President of the HTC Foundation
  • Vice Chancellor Laura King

Thank you to our presenters, and thank you to the many trustees, presidents, students, faculty, and staff who attended or listened live from campuses across the state.

Committee deadlines announced

Leaders of the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives announced three committee deadlines for action on bills for the 2017 Legislative Session:

  • Friday, March 10 is the first deadline, where committees must act favorably on bills in the house of origin.
  • Friday, March 17 is the second deadline in which committees must act favorably on bills, or companion bills, that have met the first deadline in the other body. Lastly,
  • Friday, March 31 is the third deadline in which the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.

The legislative session has a constitutional deadline to adjourn by Monday, May 22.

The week in review

The Legislature finished a key part of its health care work Thursday. The House and Senate passed a compromise bill Thursday that will give 25 percent rebates to about 125,000 people facing big spikes in individual market health care premiums. The total cost of the bill is about $325 million. Governor Mark Dayton signed it last night.

Other key happenings in Higher Ed this week:

Governor Dayton’s budget proposal prioritizes health, education and transportation: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessiondaily/SDView.aspx?StoryID=12424

Testifiers speak on behalf of Minnesota State benefits: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessiondaily/SDView.aspx?StoryID=12431  

U of M president gives overview of institution’s statewide impact: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessiondaily/SDView.aspx?StoryID=12423


Next week at the Capitol

Monday, January 30 

11:00 a.m. 
Senate in session 

3:00 p.m. 
1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg 
Senate Committee on E-12 Finance 
Agenda: Career and Technical Education 
     Presenters: Minnesota State, Minnesota Department of Education, Local Consortia Leaders and Partners 
     1)Minnesota's consortium model for secondary/postsecondary delivery of Career and Technical Education 
     2)Overview of Goals, Successes, and Challenges 
     3)Program Examples 

3:30 p.m. 
House in session 


Tuesday, January 31 

8:15 a.m. 
10 State Office Bldg 
House Education Innovation Policy 
Agenda: Presentation of the Minnesota Department of Education's World's Best Workforce Legislative Report; 
Presentation of the Minnesota Department of Education's Special Education Statewide Average Expenditure Report; 
Presentation from the Minnesota Department of Education on Reading Well by Third Grade 
Committee Documents:  
Special Education Statewide Average Expenditure for Fiscal Year2016.pdf 
Worlds Best Workforce Legislative Report.pdf 

10:15 a.m. 
Basement Hearing Room 
House Government Operations and Elections Policy 
Agenda: HF399 Anderson - Severance pay limits for highly compensated public employees clarified. 

1:00 p.m. 
15 Capitol 
Senate Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy 
Agenda: University of Minnesota overview 

5:30 p.m. 
G-3 State Capitol 
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement 
Agenda: Election of 2017-2018 Commission Officers (Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary) 
NOTE: Pension Commission members have not yet been appointed (as of 1/20/17) 


Wednesday, February 1

3:00 p.m. 
200 State Office Bldg 
House Capital Investment  
Agenda: HF576 -Urdahl; University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities higher education asset preservation and replacement funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

3:00 p.m. 
1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg 
Senate Committee on E-12 Finance 
Agenda: Career and Technical Partnerships 
Presenters: Minnesota State, Minnesota Department of Education, Local Consortia 
     1)Overview of work-based learning, program advisory committees and partnerships 
     2)Career and Technical Student Organizations 
     3)Program Examples  

 

Thursday, February 2 

3:00 p.m. 
1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg 
Senate Committee on E-12 Policy 
Agenda: Presentation of the MDE Student Discipline Working Group Report by: 
     Mark French, Minnesota Elementary School Principal's Association 
     Marika Pfefferkorn, Minnesota Education Equity Partnership 

Important Links:

  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) can be found HERE
  • 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@so.mnscu.edu
Bernie Omann – Bernie.omann@so.mnscu.edu
Jim Grathwol – jim.grathwol@so.mnscu.edu