Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session
Legislative Update: February 7, 2019
Minnesota State presents budget request to House committee

Minnesota State testified before the House Higher Education Finance and Policy committee yesterday about the system’s $246 million budget request, which includes $169 million to fund campus inflationary costs to support the financial health of every campus; $37 million for critical technology replacement of the twenty year-old outdated ISRS data system; $25 million for two new grant programs for students to help them advance and succeed; and $15 million to address the workforce gap through innovative career, technical, and professional programming serving business and industry.

In committee, Chancellor Devinder Malhotra said, “We are ready to work with you to upgrade technology to ensure the success of our students; we are ready to work with you to provide you with the highly educated workforce prepared for the jobs of the future; and we are ready to work with you to meet the current and future needs of our students.”

Chancellor Malhotra also shared with committee members that the system’s budget request is 100 percent aligned with campus commitments to communities across the state, and to affordability and enhanced access and support to historically underserved communities.


In addition to Chancellor Malhotra, Vice Chancellor of Technology Ramon Padilla, and Vice Chancellor of Finance, Laura King who all shared details of the budget request, college and university presidents testified in support of the budget request and talked about what the budget means to their campus.

President Scott Olson, Winona State University, and President Angelia Millender, Century College joined Vice Chancellor Padilla to provide detail about the Next Gen request. The three testifiers explained how the out-of-date computer system touches everyone and nearly every activity, including application, registration, course scheduling, housing, financial aid, transcripts, system finance, accounting, and human resources. Padilla explained that the twenty-year old system has reached the end of its technological life.

President Barbara McDonald, North Hennepin Community College, and President Ginny Arthur, Metropolitan State University, shared with the committee the stories about students and what a higher education degree means to their lives.
The full presentation can be found HERE .


Rep. Jason Rarick wins Special Election

State Representative Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, prevailed in this week’s special election in Senate District 11 over DFL nominee Stu Lourey, by a margin of 53 percent to 45 percent. Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate John Birrenbach received 2 percent of the vote.


Rarick, who was elected to a third term in the Minnesota House last November, represents the southern half of Senate District 11. District 11 includes all of Pine and Carlton counties as well as the eastern portion of Kanabec County and a small portion of southern St. Louis County.


With Rarick's victory, the Minnesota Senate will now have 35 Republicans and 32 Democrats. A special election will now have to occur in the coming weeks to fill Rarick's seat in the Minnesota House.


____________________________________________________

At the Capitol

Monday, February 11

9:45 a.m.
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Lyndon Carlson
Agenda: 
HF14 (Michael V. Nelson) Help America Vote Act money transferred and appropriated.
HF80 (Mary Murphy) Capital investment; previously authorized capital projects funding source changed, spending authorized to acquire and better public land and buildings and other improvements of a capital nature, bonds issued, and money appropriated. (pending referral from Environment Division on Thursday)
HF70 (Mary Kunesh-Podein) Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women created, annual report on violence against indigenous women and girls required, and money appropriated. (pending referral from Public Safety Division on Thursday) 
HF15 (Zack Stephenson) Voluntary relationship defense for criminal sexual conduct crimes eliminated. 
HF58 (Dettmer) - Corrections Officer Joseph Gomm Memorial Highway.
HF374 (Jay Xiong) Unemployment Insurance Advisory committee 2018 legislative session recommended changes adopted. (pending referral from Jobs Division on Thursday)
HF491 (Lisa Demuth) School employees and independent contractors who have sexual relationships with students penalties established.

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

1:00 p.m.
Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy
Room: 1100 Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Warren Limmer
Agenda:
SF468 (Nelson): Rideshare data classification expansion to include all government entities
SF248 (Limmer): Government data security breach notification requirement expansion
 
Tuesday, February 12


8:00 a.m.
House Jobs and Economic Development Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda:
HF 369 (Albright) Federal research and development support program created
HF 180 (Sauke) Centers for independent living funding
HF 656 (Koznick) New American workforce training funding provided
HF 537 (Fischer) Orthotic and prosthetic digital technology center funding provided
 
Wednesday, February 13
 
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance and Policy
Room: 1100 Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Carla J. Nelson
Agenda:
Due to a full agenda, we are planning on dividing bill hearing times as follows: Each bill will have a total of 15 minutes for presentation, questions, and testimony pro and con. After presentation of a bill, the remaining portion of the 15 minutes will be evenly divided between testimonies pro and con.
S.F. 749-Dahms: Education alternative dispute resolution and due process hearings conciliation conference repeal.
S.F. 244-Anderson, P.: School conciliation conference requirements for individualized education program team modification.
S.F. 640-Utke: Disabled students individualized education plans transition from secondary to postsecondary services grade 9 planning requirement elimination.
S.F. 717-Dahms: Disabled students individualized education plan (IEP) functional behavior assessment authorization.
S.F. 482-Pratt: Individualized education program (IEP) requirements to permit reporting of student performance on assessments modification.
S.F. 159-Clausen: Individualized education program requirements modification

Thursday, February 14


8:00 a.m.
Jobs and Economic Development Finance Division
Room: 200 State Office Buiding
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda:
HF 363 (Gunther) Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Southwest Initiative Foundation, and Neighborhood Development Center funding
HF 414 (Stephenson) Business competitive grant
HF 412 (Ecklund) Cook County Higher Education Board funding
HF 263 (Koegel) Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration grant
 

‌
Important Links
  • Bill introductions as of February 7, 2019 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:
Bernie Omann –  Bernie.Omann@MinnState,edu
Melissa Fahning - Melissa.Fahning@MinnState.edu
Tina Firkus - T ina.Firkus@MinnState.edu
‌
‌