Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.                                                  
Legislative Update - March 13, 2017
Second committee deadline approaches

The second deadline of the 2017 Legislative Session is this Friday, March 17th, in which committees must act favorably on bills, or companion bills, that have met first deadline in the other body.

Governor Dayton has indicated he will release his supplemental budget proposal this week. This proposal is an updated version of his previous two-year state budget proposal released in January, which was based off of the November forecast. His supplemental budget will reflect the most recent February forecast, which includes an increased surplus of $1.65 billion - $250 million higher than the previous November forecast.

Budget targets for finance committees are also expected to be released this week. The majority caucuses in the House of Representatives and in the Senate will introduce their own budget proposals based on these targets and finance committees must act favorably on these proposals by the third committee deadline, Friday, March 31st.

This week at the Capitol

Monday, March 13  

10:15 a.m.
House Ways and Means
200 State Office Building
**Time Note: The committee will recess and reconvene following floor session to complete its work.**
Agenda:
Presentation by Metropolitan Council on capital and operating costs of existing and planned fixed guideway transit lines.
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.
HF470 (Cornish) Public safety motor vehicle tampering crime created, and criminal penalties established.
HF915 (Cornish) Corrections deficiency funding provided, and money appropriated.
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.
(HF140 will be heard pending referral.)  

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session  

1:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
1150 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda:
SF1504 (Koran) - Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota FATHER Project grant appropriation. SF1846 (Senjem) - Pipeline dual-training programs modification and appropriation.
SF1034 (Bakk) - American Indian workforce training pilot project appropriation.
SF1287 (Chamberlain) - Minneapolis Pillsbury United Communities wellness center and grocery store appropriation.
SF1403 (Anderson, P.) - Fighting Chance behavioral intervention programs for at-risk youth grant appropriation.
SF1779 (Anderson, P.) – Small business technology assistance appropriation
SF1505 (Anderson, P.) – Summit Academy OIC grant appropriation  

3:30 p.m.
House in Session  

5:30 p.m.
enate Committee on State Government Finance and Policy and Elections
1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda:
SF1394 (Bakk) - Iron Range resources and rehabilitation legislative-citizen commission establishment and commissioner duties modification.
SF1449 (Miller) – Public educational radio stations grants appropriation
SF737 (Weber) - Pollution control agency (PCA) effluent limitations compliance requirement. SF1087 (Ingebrigtsen) - Environmental reforms; environmental quality board elimination. SF1568 (Limmer) - Legislative commission on data practices expiration date delay authorization.
SF603 (Kiffmeyer) - Highly paid public employees severance pay limits clarification.    

Tuesday, March 14  

1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance
5 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF1906 (Loon) - Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act provisions modified, and graduation incentives program amended.
HF550 (Koegel) - Independent School District No. 11, Anoka-Hennepin; fabrication lab grant for the Secondary Technical Education Program funding provided, and money appropriated. HF149 (Urdahl) - Minnesota school finance reform effort working group established, and money appropriated.
HF1558 (Kresha) - School district insurance coverage regulated.
HF1744 (Carlson) - The Works Museum grant authorized, and money appropriated.  

1:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy
15 Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 871 (Clausen): Student loan debt counseling program grant appropriation.
S.F. 1519 (Abeler): Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) tuition reduction appropriation.
S.F. 1743-(Fischbach): Supplemental aid for two-year Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) colleges outside the metropolitan area appropriation.
S.F. 1982 (Fischbach): Higher education private institutions in the case of adjudication of fraud or misrepresentation treatment modification  

1:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on State Government Finance and Policy and Elections
1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda:
SF1264 (Housley) – State primary election date change from August to June
SF888 (Housley) – First-time home buyer savings account program establishment and account creation, income tax subtraction authorization and appropriation **pending referral**.
SF1833 (Koran) - State employee collective bargaining agreements affirmative approval before interim implementation of agreements.  

3:00 p.m.
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance
5 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF2234 (Zerwas) - North Memorial Hospital family practice residency program funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF2257 (Omar) - Child care grant program parameters changed.
HF1577 (Omar) - Postsecondary educational institutions required to provide information to pregnant students and student parents; state grant program to fund activities and services to support pregnant students and student parents at postsecondary educational institutions established, and money appropriated.
HF2226 (Poppe) - Individuals teaching in agricultural education loan forgiveness provided, and money appropriated.
HF2313 (Christensen) - Minnesota State Colleges tuition reduction funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF2198 (Christensen) - Student activity fees made optional.
HF2197 (Christensen) - Student body vote for any increase in mandatory student fees required.
HF2080 (Nornes) - Education debt relief grant funding provided, and money appropriated.  

3:00 p.m.
House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance
10 State Office Building
Agenda: A number of bills will be heard. The full agenda can be found HERE.
HF2227 (Baker) - Pipeline dual-training programs modified, and money appropriated.  

Wednesday, March 15  

1:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
1150 Minnesota Senate Building Agenda:
SF1315 (Lang) – Latino Communities United in Service (CLUES) career education and job skills training grants appropriation.
SF1722 (Abeler) – Somali community development pilot grant program establishment and appropriation.
SF1771 (Draheim) – Twin Cities R!SE metro transit technician training program grant appropriation.
SF1772 (Draheim) – Twin Cities R!SE hard-to-train individuals training program grants appropriation.
SF1884 (Johnson, M.) - Eligible wholesale electronic component distribution center sales taxes paid during construction exemption; eligible wholesale electronic component distribution center construction forgivable loan authorization and appropriation; Thief River Falls business development public infrastructure grant authorization.  

1:00 p.m.
House State Government Finance
10 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF1433 (Kresha) - Rulemaking regulated; environmental assessment worksheets and impact statements review and repeal provided; implementation and enforcement of policies, guidelines, and statements restricted; rule oversight increased, notice requirements modified, impact analysis required, and SONAR requirements modified.
HF1558 (Kresha) - School district insurance coverage regulated.
HF1160 (Runbeck) - Transit financial activity auditing and reporting required, and money appropriated.
HF136 (Howe) – Zero-based budgeting provided  

Thursday, March 16  

1:00 p.m.
Senate Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy
15 Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 1935 (Abeler): Aviation degree loan forgiveness program and appropriation.
S.F. 211 (Clausen): State educational service award for volunteers establishment and appropriation
S.F. 2045-Anderson, P.: Workforce development scholarships establishment and appropriation

Important Links:

  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) can be found HERE (updated 3/13/17)
  • 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