Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session
Legislative Update - March 28, 2018
House hears Minnesota State supplemental budget request

Minnesota State presented its $31 million supplemental budget request to the House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance Committee on Tuesday. Rep. Bud Nornes , R-Fergus Falls, the committee chair, is sponsoring the bill, HF3638 , would appropriate $10 million for campus support, and $21 million to replace the system’s current student record system with NextGen. The bill was approved, as amended, and now awaits action by House Ways and Means Committee. Its companion, SF3671 , will be heard in the Senate Higher Education Policy and Finance committee on Thursday.

Minnesota State’s current record system, ISRS, is used by nearly 400,000 people across every campus, including every faculty and staff member and every student, to track registration, payroll, generate transcripts and register for courses. It was developed over 20 years ago, using a combination of different programming language.

According to Scott Olson, president of Winona State University, it’s simply too outdated to meet system needs. “I’m quite worried about what it means for students if we don’t do this,” Olson said. “There are no programmers being prepared today to program in that language, so when the last four or five that we have retire, there won’t be anyone left to improve or repair ISRS.”

Laura King, the system’s chief financial officer, said that the committee has already provided $4 million in base funding. King anticipates that this additional $21 million in base funding will cover the remainder of the project based on their current forecast. “We expect it to take seven years because we’re going to be implementing it in waves,” she said. “This is an extremely large data system.”  

Governor Dayton signs
On Tuesday afternoon, Governor Dayton signed the bill giving more than 30,000 state workers raises.

The House suspended its rules Monday to pass HF4067 / SF3154 * on a 93-33 vote. The Senate approved the bill 56-10 earlier in the day.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Marion O'Neill (R-Maple Lake) and Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona), ratified state employee contracts for:
  • American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, including Unit 8 and Unit 225
  • Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
  • Middle Management Association
  • State residential teachers
  • Minnesota Government Engineering Council
  • Inter Faculty Organization
  • Minnesota Nurses Association
  • Commissioner’s Plan
  • Managerial Plan
  • Office of Higher Education Compensation Plan
  • Compensation Plan for MnSure
  • Minnesota state personnel plan for administrators

In a statement , Gov. Mark Dayton expressed his support. “I thank the Minnesota House of Representatives for joining their colleagues in the Minnesota Senate to approve modest wage increases for more than 30,000 hard-working state employees and their families."
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Wednesday, March 28
 
10:15 a.m.
House Government Operations and Elections Policy
Room: Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Tim O'Driscoll
Agenda:
HF3171 (Debra Kiel): Health commissioner required to convene the older adult social isolation working group, report required, and money appropriated.
HF3606 (Drew Christensen): Counties, cities, and Towns prohibited from regulating auxiliary containers.
HF3536 (Joe McDonald): Physician Assistant Advisory Council member term limits eliminated.
HF3873 (Tony Albright): Workers' Compensation Advisory Council recommendations adopted, and Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals quorum requirements modified.
HF3672 (Sheldon Johnson): Credit for past military service modified.
HF2926 (Garofalo): Legislative ratification of proposed collective bargaining agreements conditions specified
 
12:00 p.m.
House in Session
 
1:00 p.m.
House State Government Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sarah Anderson
Agenda:
HF3963 (Rod Hamilton): Department of Agriculture/Department of Health Laboratory Building funding provided to correct safety, energy, and operational efficiency problems; bonds issued; and money appropriated.
HF4105 (John Poston): Wadena Armory funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF4109 (Josh Heintzeman): Brainerd Armory funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF3217 (Bob Loonan): Pari-mutuel horse racing provisions relating to licensing and regulation modified.
HF4016 (Anderson): Website that permits persons to make gifts to the state online required
1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda: State Academies Bonding Requests
HF2378  - (Baker): Music education online access for children and students in rural Minnesota grant program created, report required, and money appropriated.
HF3600  - (Loon): Legislative auditor requested to compare revenue generation and spending between school districts and charter schools, and report required.
HF3870  - (Peterson): Voluntary prekindergarten participants required to be served through a mixed delivery of services.
Attachments: (3/27/2018)  H2378A1.pdf
1:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Jeremy R. Miller
Agenda:
S.F. 3769-Bakk: American Indian workforce development training pilot project fund extension.
S.F. 2741-Tomassoni: Mine inspection requirements modifications.
S.F. 3159-Anderson, P.: Minnetonka Minnesota investment fund grant for lactic acid production initiative authorization and appropriation.
S.F. 3157-Anderson, P.: Youth skills training program modification and appropriation.
S.F. 3378-Draheim: Manufactured home installers fees modifications.
 
3:00 p.m.
House Capital Investment
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Dean Urdahl
Agenda:
HF3298 (Jenifer Loon): Eden Prairie; SouthWest Transit bus garage and maintenance facility funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF53 (Sheldon Johnson): St. Paul; Wakan Tipi Center funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF3222 (Barb Haley): Wabasha; National Eagle Center and riverfront area improvement funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Carla J. Nelson
Agenda: S.F. 2748-Pratt: Teacher license revocation, suspension, denial, and teacher discharge grounds expansion; mandatory reporting expansion.
3:00 p.m.
House Higher Education and Career Readiness Policy and Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: HF3817 (Knoblach): Minnesota State Colleges and Universities required to transfer its central office to the campus of a college or university governed by the board.
HF3415 (Nornes): Notice to a sexual assault victim required to include information about the availability of legal advocacy services.
HF794 (Haley): Student loan debt counseling grant funding provided and money appropriated
Following any action taken on bills, the committee will hear a presentation by Minnesota Life College.
Attachments
(3/21/2018)  H3415A2.pdf
(3/27/2018)  H3051A1.pdf
(3/27/2018)  A18-0718.pdf
 
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Carla J. Nelson
Agenda:
S.F. 2748-Pratt: Teacher license revocation, suspension, denial, and teacher discharge grounds expansion; mandatory reporting expansion.
S.F. 2754-Nelson: Safe schools revenue program establishment; charter schools eligible for safe schools revenue; safe schools revenue increase and appropriation
 
3:00 p.m.
House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair:
Agenda:
HF3713 (Anderson, S): Minnesota Investment Fund grant provided.
HF3009 (Poston): Centers for independent living funding provided for services to veterans, and money appropriated.
HF2829 (O'Driscoll): Real estate appraisals regulated, advisory board created, and duties prescribed.
HF3688 (O'Driscoll): Energy improvements program modified, consumer protections for residential property assessed clean energy loans provided, and remedies provided.
HF3044 (Vogel): Agencies required to determine the impact of a proposed rule on the cost of residential construction or remodeling, notice to the applicable legislative committees required, and legislative committee permitted to require approval of a rule by law.
HF3685 (Albright): Public utility definition modified.
HF4147 (Mariani): CLUES Education and Technology Institute construction funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF3846 (Barr): Unclaimed property compliance efforts appropriation modified.
HF3957 (Fabian): Local government loan repayment fund restrictions modified.
HF2719 (Miller): Excavation notice system governing provisions modified.
HF4139 (Metsa): Taconite assistance area definition modified, use of taconite economic development fund clarified, and 2018 distribution transfer modified.
Thursday, March 29
 
10:15 a.m.
House Agriculture Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Rod Hamilton
Agenda: Informational hearing on foreign animal disease preparedness.
  • Presentation from Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
  • Presentation from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health
  • Presentation from the University of Minnesota
  • Presentation from former MDA Commissioner Gene Hugoson
  • Presentation from Dr. Mike Eisenmenger
  • Presentation from Mark Luecke, CEO, Medgene Labs
  • Presentation from Mitch Abrahamsen, Recombinetics
10:15 a.m.
House Government Operations and Elections Policy
Room: Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Tim O'Driscoll
Agenda:
HF3153 (Bob Loonan): Local recycling programs matching funds requirement modified.
HF3210 (Bob Loonan): County authorization for storm and sanitary sewer systems modified.
HF3338 (Brian Johnson): Security screening systems added to ionizing radiation-producing equipment, and rulemaking authorized.
HF3142 (Dan Fabian): All-terrain vehicles allowed in certain state campgrounds.
HF2023 (Ilhan Omar): Spoken language health care interpreter registry system established, and money appropriated.
11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session
 
1:00 p.m.
House State Government Finance
Room:b10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sarah Anderson
Agenda:
HF3518* (Marion O'Neill): State pay increases for state personnel required to be tied to performance.
HF3723* (Steve Drazkowski): Exclusive representatives prohibited from requiring political contributions, and state prohibited from facilitating payroll deductions for political purposes.
HF4084 (Brian Daniels): Minnesota State Academies track funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF4087 (Brian Daniels): Minnesota State Academies dormitory renovation funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF4088 (Brian Daniels): Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf security corridor funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF4146 (Brian Daniels): Minnesota State Academies asset preservation funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Additional bills added to the agenda:
HF3204, HF2011, HF2912, HF3721, HF3662, HF3674, HF2926, HF2924, and HF3771
1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle L. Fischbach
As a part of the hearings on S.F.3272, S.F.3671, and S.F.3393, both the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State will present their supplemental budget requests. These bills reflect those proposals.
The committee will also hear from Commissioner Pogemiller on the Governor's higher education supplemental budget request.
Agenda:
S.F. 3272-Eichorn: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) board of trustees campus support appropriation.
S.F. 3671-Fischbach: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) board of trustees campus support and student record system appropriation.
S.F. 3393-Fischbach: University of Minnesota (U of M) resident undergraduate tuition relief and appropriation.
S.F. 3514-Anderson, P.: Higher education grant provisions modifications
 
1:00 p.m.
House Education Finance Committee
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda: Public Testimony will be taken, as time allows, on HF3315. Please contact the committee administrator via email ( jody.withers@house.mn ) if you wish to testify.
HF3315  - (Erickson): Prekindergarten through grade 12 education provided, including general education, education excellence, teachers, facilities and technology, nutrition, early childhood and family support, and self-sufficiency and lifelong learning.
1:00 p.m.
Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections
Room: 1200 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer
Agenda:
S.F. 3250-Jasinski: Motor vehicle titling and registration provisions modifications.
S.F. 3021-Kiffmeyer: Omnibus elections bill.
S.F. 2028-Utke: Mental health and medical benefits parity requirement; mental health and substance use disorder definition; health plan transparency requirement; commissioners of health and commerce accountability.
S.F. 3702-Pratt: Pari-mutuel horse racing licensing and regulation provisions modifications.
S.F. 3161-Anderson, P.: MN.IT office services duties modification.
S.F. 3764-Kiffmeyer: State agencies dedication of portion of information technology expenditures to cyber security enhancements requirement
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Policy
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Eric R. Pratt
Agenda:
S.F. 3086-Pratt: Prekindergarten through grade 12 education provisions modifications.
SF 3086 will serve as the E12 Policy omnibus bill. A delete-everything
amendment will be posted as soon as it is available.
March 30 – April 8
Legislative Break

Important Links:
  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) can be found HERE (updated March 26, 2018)
  • 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 – J im.Grathwol@MinnState.edu
Melissa Fahning - Melissa.Fahning@MinnState.edu
Tina Firkus - T ina.Firkus@MinnState.edu
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