Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.                                                  
Legislative Update - February 28, 2017
$1.65 billion surplus announced for Minnesota's state budget

This morning the Office of Management and Budget released the state’s February budget forecast, which projects Minnesota’s state budget to have a $1.65 billion surplus for fiscal year 2018-19 with the current biennium projected to end with a balance of $743 million.

The $1.65 billion surplus is up from the last economic forecast in November, which showed a projected $1.4 billion budget surplus. This recent forecast is an increase of about $250 million over the previous November forecast. .

The positive economic outlook continues into 2020 and 2021, but state budget officials warned of unknown federal policy changes that could put the forecast at risk.

Governor Dayton submitted a two-year $46 million budget proposal earlier this month based on the November forecast figures and may make some adjustments to that based on the new forecast.

State legislators will use this number to begin their constitutional obligation to craft and balance the state’s two-year budget this legislative session.

In the coming weeks, the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee will examine budget proposals from the various finance committees in the House and Senate.

Friday, March 31 marks the third deadline in which the finance committees must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.  

Further details on the budget will be announced later today, followed by reactions from Governor Dayton and legislative leaders
Tuesday in Higher Education committees

At 1:00 p.m. the Senate Higher Education committee will hear the budget presentation from the University of Minnesota.

At 3:00 p.m. the House Higher Education and Career Readiness committee will hear a number of bills which includes:
  • HF868 - (Jessup): Greater Minnesota internship tax credit modified
  • HF1206 - (Albright): Spinal Cord and Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council modified, spinal cord and traumatic brain injury student research scholarship and education program created, and money appropriated.
  • HF1430 - (Zerwas): State grant program parameters adjusted.
  • HF1222 - (Nornes): Higher education provisions modified.
  • HF1652 - (Zerwas): Minnesota State Colleges and Universities required to develop a developmental education reform proposal.
  • HF1575 - (Omar): Summer academic enrichment program funding provided, and money appropriated.

Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Ron Anderson and North Hennepin Community College faculty member, Shirley Johnson will testify on HF1652.

The House hearing will be streamed live.

This week at the Capitol    

Tuesday, February 28, 201  

8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
10 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF1398 (Jessup) – General education development term modified
HF1478 (Loon) – Unrequested leave of absence provisions modified
HF547 (Fenton) – Child and Adult Care Food Program administration by the Health Department
HF149 (Urdahl) – Minnesota school finance reform effort working group established, and money appropriated
H1398A2.pdf
0210_001.pdf  

8:15 a.m.
House Civil Law and Data Practices Policy
Basement Hearing Room
Agenda: HF1185 (Scott) – Correspondence defined in government record retention law, and minimum three-year retention period for correspondence provided
HF1654 (O’Neill) – Domestic assault by strangulation added to list of crimes impacting custody, parenting plans, and parenting time
HF1544 (Pugh) – Data access denial requirements modified for government entities
H1185A1.pdf  

8:15 a.m.
House Health and Human Services Reform
200 State Office Building
Agenda: Multiple bills will be heard in committee. The full list can be found on the committee page. HF1282 (Kiel) - Licensed psychologist licensure requirements clarified, and language updated.
HF803 (Baker) - Senior care workforce innovation grant program established, and money appropriated HF804 (Kiel) - Health professional loan forgiveness program and employee scholarship modified, administration of medications by licensed personnel authorized, and money appropriated.
H1282A1.pdf
H1229A1.pdf
HF803 - Innovation fund backgrounder.pdf
HF804 - Workforce LTCI Backgrounder.pdf HF804 committee engrossment.pdf

10:15am
House State Government Operations and Elections Committee
Basement Hearing Room
Agenda:
HF140 (Erickson) - Teacher licensing system restructured, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board established, all teacher licensing and support personnel licensing and credentialing authority transferred to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, rulemaking provided, report required, and money appropriated. HF1047 (Kiel) - Agricultural Utilization Research Institute provisions modified.
HF345 (Zerwas) - Palliative Care Advisory Committee created.
HF526 (Zerwas) - Occupational Therapy Practice Board created.
HF1003 (Lueck) - Effluent limitation compliance provided, and rulemaking required.
HF1366 (Albright) - Workers' Compensation Advisory Council recommendations adopted, department proposals adopted, inpatient service payments modified, forbearance of amounts owed to the special compensation fund allowed, intervention procedures modified, and rulemaking authorized.
HF1077 (Bliss) - Minnow license requirements and rulemaking modified.
HF1504 (Nash) - Local governments prohibited from banning or taxing paper or plastic bags.
H0140A15 Erickson.pdf
H0140A16 Nelson.pdf

1:30 p.m.
Senate Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy
15 State Capitol
Agenda: Budget request presentation from the University of Minnesota  

3:00 p.m.
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance
5 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF868 - (Jessup) - Greater Minnesota internship tax credit modified.
HF1206 - (Albright) - Spinal Cord and Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council modified, spinal cord and traumatic brain injury student research scholarship and education program created, and money appropriated.
HF1430 - (Zerwas) - State grant program parameters adjusted.
HF1222 - (Nornes) - Higher education provisions modified.
HF1652 - (Zerwas) - Minnesota State Colleges and Universities required to develop a developmental education reform proposal.
HF1575 (Omar) – Summer academic enrichment program funding provided, and money appropriated    

3:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on E-12 Policy
1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda:
SF264 (Franzen) – Federal Every Student Succeeds Act funding for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities.
SF1070 (Dahms) - Innovative delivery of career and technical education programs and sharing of district resources codification and permanency. A-1 S.F. 1070 (PDF)
SF1061 (Cwodzinski) - Civics class completion for high school graduation requirement. A-1 S.F. 1061 (PDF)
SF333 (Wiger) - Nationally normed college entrance exam for high school graduation requirement A-1 S.F. 333 (PDF)
SF953 (Nelson) - General education development term modification A-2 S.F. 953 (PDF)  

5:30 p.m.
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
15 State Capitol
Agenda: Discussion of the benefits and features of MSRS-General, PERA-General, and TRA
- Staff presentation on possible benefit changes and cost savings. 
Chart - Statewide General Employee Pension Plans, Benefit Analysis and Possible Cost Savings Changes Memo on the Chart  

Wednesday, March 1, 2017  

8:30 a.m.
Senate Committee on Aging and Long-term Care Policy
1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda:
SF897 (Eken) - Caregiver support programs provisions modifications and appropriation.
SF898 (Eken) - Essential community supports provisions modifications.
SF924 (Housley) - Winona State University HealthForce Minnesota grant appropriation to develop educational materials to increase awareness of senior care opportunities.  

12:00 p.m.
Senate in Session  

12:15 p.m.
House in Session  

1:00 p.m.
House State Government Finance
10 State Office Building
Agenda: HF445 (Anderson) - State auditor enterprise fund repealed, state auditor funding from the general fund provided, and money appropriated.
HF599 (Vogel) - Legislative Budget Office created, powers and duties prescribed, and money appropriated.  

1:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
1150 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda: SF685 (Hawj) – St. Paul East Side Enterprise Center appropriation
SF988 (Anderson, P.) SciTechsperience internship program appropriation
SF1350 (Goggin) – Helmets to Hard Hats grant appropriation
SF266 (Housley) – Film and television board snowbate program appropriation  

3:00 p.m.
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance
5 State Office Building
Agenda: Budget presentation by the University of Minnesota  

Thursday, March 2, 2017  

8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
10 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF485 - (Anderson): Agricultural educator grant program established, and money appropriated.
HF535 - (Baker): Independent School District No. 347, Willmar; on-site education programs qualified as learning year programs, and money appropriated.
HF1663 - (Erickson): Alternative teacher preparation and compensation programs modified, Teacher Shortage Task Force created, concurrent enrollment teacher program expanded, report required, and money appropriated.
HF1083 - (Anselmo): Open enrollment priorities modified.
HF1421 - (Drazkowski): Snow day policy adoption by school boards authorized, and e-learning days for school days with inclement weather authorized.
HF1668 - (Poston): Early learning programs' eligibility to accept scholarships modified.
**Bills May Be Added or Rolled Over to our hearing on Friday, March 3rd.**  

8:30 a.m.
Senate Committee on Finance
1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda: Presentation on the February Forecast
     - MMB Commissioner Myron Frans
     - State Budget Director Margaret Kelly
     - State Economist Laura Kalambokidis
SF300 (Nelson) - Medical practice board criminal background checks authorization and exemption.
HF400 (Limmer) - State vendor contracts Israel boycott prohibition *Pending referral*.
HF234 (Weber) - Municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives regulation modification.  

8:30 a.m.
Senate Committee on Taxes
15 Capitol
Agenda:
SF416 (Nelson) - K-12 education expense individual income tax credit increase and inflation adjustment. SF774 (Nelson) - Apprenticeship training facilities tax exemption criteria modification.
SF1166 (Eichorn) - Income tax education-related expenses definition expansion to include broadband subscription expenses.
SF165 (Clausen) - Refundable student loan income tax credit authorization and appropriation.
SF941 (Miller) - Student loan payments refundable income tax credit.
SF524 (Pratt) - Masters degree in teacher licensure refundable income tax credit authorization
SF947 (Anderson, P.) - Education expense income tax credit and deduction application to prekindergarten expenses  

10:15 a.m.
House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance
10 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF140 - (Erickson): Teacher licensing system restructured, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board established, all teacher licensing and support personnel licensing and credentialing authority transferred to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, rulemaking provided, report required, and money appropriated.
HF352 - (Rosenthal): Controlled substance evidence processing funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF1481 - (Grossell): Assaulting firefighters or medical personnel enhanced criminal penalties provided. HF1252 - (O'Neill): Children in need of protection or services in foster care legal representation grant funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF839 - (Zerwas): Law enforcement officer impersonation penalties increased. H0839A1_2.pdf  

10:15 a.m.
House Taxes
200 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF1249 - (Hoppe): Housing tax credit allowed, data classified, and reports required.
HF924 - (Anderson): Local government capital project exemption expanded.
HF306 - (Davnie): Instructional material exemption modified.
HF882 - (Davids): Education loan subtraction for discharge provided.
HF19 - (Davids): Student loan payment refundable credit provided.    

1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance
5 State Office Building
Agenda: TBA  

1:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy
15 State Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 1303 (Anderson, P.) - Higher education state grant program parameters adjustment.
S.F. 735 (Jensen, S.) - Spinal cord and traumatic brain injury advisory council modification; spinal cord and traumatic brain injury student research scholarship and education program establishment and appropriation.
SF1040 (Tomassoni) – County higher education scholarship program funded by mineral royalties establishment  

3:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on E-12 Policy
1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda:
SF1338 (Johnson, M.) – Academic and behavioral strategist license inclusion in special education teacher licensing process authorization
SF4 (Pratt) – Teacher licensure system restricting planning requirement
Delete All Amendment for S.F. 4 (PDF)  

3:30 p.m.
House in Session  

Friday, March 3, 2017  

9:00 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
10 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF1339 - (Erickson): Assistive technology plans provided.
HF1426 - (Lee): Teacher preparation program summary results disaggregated by race.
HF1048 - (Erickson): Commissioner mandates reduced; and schools empowered with relation to innovation zones, world's best workforce, advanced academic credit, and textbooks loaned to nonpublic students
HF877 - (Erickson): Innovative delivery of career and technical education pilot project codified and made permanent.
**Bills may be added or rolled over from previous hearing**

Important Links:

  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) can be found HERE (updated 2/28/17)
  • 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