Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.                                                  
Legislative Update - February 6, 2017
Week six at the Minnesota Legislature

Last week in review: the House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Committee approved a bill Thursday night that would ban actions by local units of government to put in place their own laws governing private employment. Other issues addressed during the week include: special education expenses, suicide prevention, student loan tax credits, oil train derailment preparedness, the economic impact of amateur sports, and state commissioner severance pay.

This week, the Legislature will spend more time reviewing Governor Dayton's budget proposal. Earlier this morning, the House Ways and Means Committee kicked off week number six of the 2017 session with an overview from Minnesota Management and Budget of all the state funds — totaling around $82.75 billion.

Higher Education

In regards to higher education meetings, Minnesota State will give two presentations: one to the House Capital Investment Committee on the Minnesota State Higher Education Asset Preservation Request (HEAPR), and another presentation on the health care workforce to a joint meeting of the Senate Higher Education Committee and the Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care Policy.

Other meetings related to higher education include: the regent selection for the University of Minnesota; a presentation on Minnesota Teacher Licensure to the Senate E-12 Committee; action on the Minnesota college savings plan, credits, tuition relief grants and student loan debt counseling grants in the House Higher Education Committee; and several meetings regarding operations, pensions and retirement. 
Committee deadlines 

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.

This week at the Capitol 

Monday, February 6, 2017 
 
10:15 a.m. 
200 State Office Building 
House Ways and Means 
Agenda: Minnesota Management and Budget: Governor Dayton’s budget. $82.75 Billion All Funds (operating) budget for FY2018-19. 
Committee Documents:  
cfs-2017-gov-rec_tcm1059-276168.pdf 

11:00 a.m. 
Senate in Session 

1:00 p.m. 
1150 Minnesota Senate Building 
Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy 
Agenda: SF580 (Miller) – Uniform State Labor Standards Act 

3:00 p.m. 
1100 Minnesota Senate Building 
Senate Committee on E-12 Finance 
Agenda: 
SF158 (Clausen) – Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) based courses school district grants appropriation 
SF305 (Utke) – Minnesota principals academy appropriation 
SF310 (Weber) – Rural career and technical education consortium establishment and appropriation 
SF443 (Nelson) – Minnesota reading corps program appropriation
SF489 (Nelson) – Compensatory education revenue pilot project permanency authorization 

3:30 p.m. 
House in Session 

 

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 

8:15 a.m. 
10 State Office Building 
House Education Innovation Policy 
Agenda: HF602 (Anderson) – Education expense credit and deduction applied to expenditures for prekindergarten expenses 
HF574 (Urdahl) – Refundable credit for attaining a master’s degree in a teacher’s licensure field provided 
HF731 (Erickson) – Civics testing added to required curriculum 
**Bills may be added** 

10:15 a.m. 
Basement Hearing Room 
House Government Operations and Elections Policy 
Agenda: 
HF400 (Kresha) - Vendor not being engaged in a boycott of Israel required. 
HF314 (Anderson) - Districting principles for legislative and congressional plans established. 
HF246 (Schultz) - Districting principles for legislative and congressional plans established, and appointment of commission to recommend district boundaries provided. 
HF697 (Sundin) - Indian tribal officials allowed to take a leave of absence when elected to public office.  

3:00 p.m. 
200 State Office Building 
House Capital Investment 
Agenda: Overview of the governor’s bonding proposal by Myron Frans, Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget 

3:00 p.m. 
1100 Minnesota Senate Building 
Senate Committee on E-12 Policy 
Agenda: Presentation of the Office of the Legislative Auditor’s Evaluation of Minnesota Teacher Licensure – Judy Randall, Deputy Legislative Auditor, Program Evaluation Division 
OLA Teacher Licensure Full Report (PDF)  
Teacher Licensure Legislative Working Group Report (PDF) 

5:30 p.m. 
G-3 State Capitol 
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement 
Agenda: Overview of the Governor's budget as it relates to Minnesota public pension plans. - Myron Frans, Commissioner, Minnesota Management and Budget 
SFxxxx; HFxxxx (Revisor #17-2317):  MSRS financial solvency measures. 
SFxxxx; HFxxxx (LCPR17-007):  PERA financial solvency measures. 
SFxxxx; HF722  (Murphy, M.):  TRA financial solvency measures. 
SFxxxx; HFxxxx (LCPR17-009):  SPTRFA financial solvency measures.  

5:30 p.m. 
5 State Office Building 
Joint Meeting: Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy; House Committee on Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance 
Agenda: Joint Committee for University of Minnesota Regent Selection 

 

Wednesday, February 8, 2017 

3:00 p.m. 
5 State Office Building 
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance 
Agenda: 
HF520 (Wills) - Minnesota college savings plan contribution subtraction and credit established. 
HF521 (Wills) - Higher education expense subtraction allowed and refundable credit established, and money appropriated. 
HF607 (Schultz) - Resident tuition relief grant program created, and money appropriated. 
HF794 (Haley) - Student loan debt counseling grant funding provided, and money appropriated. 

3:00 p.m. 
200 State Office Building 
House Capital Investment 
Agenda:  
Presentation by Minnesota State on their Higher Education Asset Preservation request.   
Presentation by the University of Minnesota on their Higher Education Asset Preservation request.  

 

Thursday, February 9, 2017 

1:00 p.m. 
15 Capitol 
Joint Meeting: Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy; Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care Policy 
Agenda:  Presentation from Minnesota State on health care workforce. 

3:00 p.m. 
1100 Minnesota Senate Building 
Senate Committee on E-12 Policy 
Agenda: Presentation on ESSA and World’s Best Workforce by Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius 

 

Next Week at the Capitol 

Tuesday, February 14, 2017 

5:30 p.m. 
G-3 State Capitol 
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement 
Agenda: TBA 

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