Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.                                                  
Legislative Update - May 2, 2017

Higher Education Conference Committee adopt budget provisions

The Higher Education Conference Committee met on Monday to complete their work and adopt budget provisions. Last week, the conference committee adopted their policy provisions.

With a budget target of $125 million, which was announced by the House and Senate leadership on Friday, the conference committee members worked to find a compromise between the original House and Senate positions. The final engrossment can be found HERE.

Items that pertain to the Office of Higher Education include:

  • The State Grant received an increase of $18.5 million
  • $350,000 to develop a new grant matching program to provide emergency assistance for post-secondary institutions to support those students in need.
  •  $6 million to support spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury research grants.
  • Provide $2 million to Minnesota Life College for need-based scholarships and tuition reduction.
  • $300,000 to support the hiring of a campus sexual violence prevention and response coordinator to serve as a statewide resource providing professional development for post-secondary institutions. $50,000 each year is dedicated for administrative funding to conduct training and provide materials.
  • $400,000 to to develop grant programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • The assigned family responsibility for the MN State Grant was reduced by 4 percentage points.

Of the $125 million budget target, Minnesota State received an additional $77.756 million to base funds:

  • $68.536 million was dedicated to Campus Support of which $6 million provides supplemental aid to two-year colleges that have campuses outside of the metro area. A minimum of $100,000 per campus can be awarded with a maximum of $300,000 to an institution.
  • $1 million is dedicated for the Workforce Development Scholarships which would provide scholarships to students at two-year colleges who are enrolled in programs in: advanced manufacturing, agriculture, information technology, or health care services.
  • $8 million to support the replacement of ISRS.
  • $100,000 is awarded in FY2018 only to HealthForce MN to develop educational materials to increase career awareness of career opportunities. 

Provisions on tuition were adopted for Minnesota State which states that tuition at colleges must be frozen for the 2017-2018 academic year and reduced by 1 percent for the 2018-2019 academic year. Tuition at state universities for the 2018-2019 academic year is frozen at the 2017-2018 rate.

In addition, an amendment was passed that deleted the language that provided a non-exclusive easement to the City of Virginia Housing and Redevelopment Authority. 

The University of Minnesota received an additional $18.674 million to base funds which includes $14 million dedicated to Health Training Restoration; $2 million to support MnDRIVE; $50,00 to complete a study at the University of Minnesota-Morris to develop a program to serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Bonding picks up at Capitol

On Monday, a joint meeting of the Senate Capital Investment and Higher Education committees was held to hear presentations from Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota on their HEAPR requests. Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Brian Yolitz and Lori Kloos, CFO at St. Cloud Technical and Community College shared with members campus the critical need on campuses.

The House released on Monday their bonding bill. A breakdown can be found HERE. The House provides Minnesota State $25 million to address HEAPR needs. In addition it funds, projects at:

  • South Central College - STEM and Healthcare renovation - North Mankato
  • Minnesota State Community and Technical College - Center for Student Success - Fergus Falls
  • Minnesota State Community and Technical College - Library and Student Development renovation - Wadena
  • Northland Community and Technical College - Laboratory renovation - East Grand Forks

The House Capital Investment Committee will take public testimony on their bill on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. In addition 33 amendments have been posted so far to the bill. The meeting will be live streamed.

This Week at the Capitol

Tuesday, May 2

10:30 a.m.
Conference Committee on Omnibus Public Safety and Security bill
G-3 State Capitol

11:00 a.m.
Conference Committee on Omnibus Agriculture finance bill
123 State Capitol
A17-0413.pdf
Ag Conference Spreadsheet_5_1_2017_V3.pdf

5:00 p.m. or at the call of the chair.
Conference Committee on Omnibus Education bill
200 State Office Building
H0890DE2.pdf

Wednesday, May 3

8:30 a.m.
Senate Finance
1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda:
  • S.F. 603-Kiffmeyer: Highly paid public employees severance pay limits clarification.
  • S.F. 839-Kiffmeyer: Campaign finance and public disclosure rules codification; campaign finance and public disclosure board rulemaking authority modification; special election cycle end date change; contributions affidavits electronic submissions; obsolete rules repeal.
  • S.F. 943-Fischbach: Loan repayment assistance program grant appropriation to provide debt relief to attorneys.
3:00 p.m.
House Capital Investment
10 State Office Building
Agenda:
HF892 (Urdahl) - Public land and building acquisition and improvement spending authorized, previous appropriations modified, new programs established and existing programs modified, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

5:30 p.m.
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Agenda: TBA

Thursday, May 4

10:00 a.m.
House in Session

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

Important Links:

  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) can be found HERE (updated 4/24/17)
  • 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