Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.                                                  
Legislative Update - April 8, 2016
House leadership budget adjustment targets approved by committee

With a focus of keeping government spending in line with family budgets, House leadership has released their budget adjustment targets Thursday. A resolution to adopt them was approved 17-10 by the House Ways and Means Committee yesterday. Senate leadership is expected to release its targets next week.

The February Budget and Economic Forecast lowered the state’s projected surplus at the end of the current biennium to $900 million, down from an estimated $1.2 billion forecast last December. Saying the plan allows them to dedicate the surplus to their priorities while focusing on what matters for middle-class Minnesotans, Republican leadership wants that money to go toward the state’s burgeoning transportation needs and middle-class tax cuts.

“Those are things we are committing the resources that we have to really make a meaningful difference in the lives of Minnesotans,” House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) said at an afternoon media availability with Republican leaders.

Touting additional investments made last year in education and health and human services spending, Rep. Jim Knoblach (R-St. Cloud) called this is “a reallocation budget” whose net spending change is zero. He chairs the House Ways and Means Committee. “We are looking at basically splitting the $900 million between the tax bill and the transportation bill,” he said.

See the spreadsheet with the proposed changes

For more information on the House budget targets, a full write-up is available on the House media page HERE.

Next week at the Capitol

Monday, April 11  

10:15 a.m.
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Knoblach
Agenda: Presentation by MnSCU on budget and enrollment trends
HF2553 (O'Neill) Respondent filing fee requirements for an order for protection eliminated
HF3482 (Zerwas) Identity theft crimes statute of limitations expanded  

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session  

12:00 p.m.
Senate Natural Resources, Economic Development and Agricultural Budget Division
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. David Tomassoni
Agenda: SF2921 (Bakk) Wolf Ridge environmental learning center improvements appropriation
SF2671 (Bakk) Fish virus surveillance appropriation
SF2939 (Bakk) Duluth north shore sanitary district debt retirement appropriation
SF3032 (Reinert) Duluth north shore sanitary district debt retirement appropriation
SF3444 (Jensen)  Civil insurance fraud investigators appropriation
SF2679 (Jensen)  Small business bureau duties modification; employment and economic development department (DEED) appropriations
SF3330 (Dahle) Organic agriculture transition grants appropriated
SF311 (Johnson, A) Exploited women and children assistance program establishment and appropriation
SF3379 (Nelson) Community economic development association (CEDA) grant for southeast Minnesota economic development study and appropriation.
SF2575 (Dziedzic) Minneapolis park and recreation board funds prior appropriations reallocation for federal funds leverage.
SF2075 (Hawj) Southeast Asian refugee community outdoor education outreach appropriation
SF3375 (Sparks) Enterprise Minnesota, Inc. grant appropriation
SF2437 (Sparks)   Urban initiative board and related programs changes and statewide access; appropriation
SF3418 (Scalze) Ramsey county north metro area workforce based mass transit needs study grant and appropriation
SF2464 (Scalze) Wild deer neonicotinoid presence detection study appropriations
SF2638 (Saxhaug) Minerals management account quarterly distributions establishment; school trust and university land expedited sales and appropriation
SF3391 (Saxhaug) Forest management investment account transfers requirement; private forest management assistance appropriation.
SF3157 (Saxhaug) Initiative foundations business finance activities promotion and appropriation. 
SF2557 (Saxhuag) David Dill memorial trail establishment and appropriation
SF3035 (Tomassoni) University of Minnesota Duluth natural resources research institute rare earth metals from fly ask extraction study grant appropriation.
SF2926 (Tomassoni) University of Minnesota (U of M) mineral research appropriation

12:00 p.m.
Senate Finance - Subcommittee on Equity
Room: 1200 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Bobby Joe Champion
Agenda:
SF2872 (Champion) Metropolitan economic development association (MEDA) minority business development grants appropriation.
SF538 (Hayden) Small business incubators capital improvements appropriation; neighborhood development center small business incubator revolving fund establishment and appropriation
SF521 (Hawj) Neighborhood development center small business incubator grants appropriation
SF3178 (Hawj) Asian economic development association appropriation
SF3266 (Hawj) Latino communities united in service (CLUES) grant appropriation
SF2870 (Hoffman, J) African economic development solutions grant appropriation
SF3146 (Dziedzic) Youth-at-work grant program appropriation
SF2919 (Champion) Multiemployer, sector-based career connections, sentencing to service program vocational training and services expansion, and East African opportunity workforce and educational services appropriations
SF2931 (Eaton) Women of color small business development program establishment and appropriation
SF3423 (Dziedzic)  Somali youth and community resilience organizations grant appropriation.
SF2865 (Torres Ray)   Competitive grant programs to increase the financial literacy of girls and women of color appropriation
SF3152 (Pappas)YWCA career pathways and workforce development program appropriation
SF3370 (Pappas) Hmong American partnership job training grants appropriation
SF2879 (Champion) Twin Cities R!SE metro transit technician training program grant appropriation
SF2871 (Champion) Minneapolis connections to jobs program and work experience pilot program grant appropriation.
SF2932 (Champion) Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) business incubator program appropriation
SF2739 (Hayden) Minority business development and contract procurement appropriation
SF2812 (Hayden) YWCA of Minneapolis job skills training grant appropriation
SF2878 (Champion) Northside Funders Group for the North@Work program grant appropriation  

4:00 p.m.
House in Session  

Tuesday, April 12  

8:15 a.m.
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sarah Anderson
Agenda:  HF2104 (Albright) Blue Ribbon Commission established to study and make recommendations on metropolitan governance, and money appropriated.
While hearing HF2104, the language from HF3644 (Wagenius) will be offered as a DE Amendment to the bill
HF2270 (Petersburg) State Capitol grounds plaque or marker placement authorized to honor workers who constructed the Capitol building, and money appropriated.
HF2867 (Pinto) Small business certification program data classified.
HF3024 (Runbeck) Barber Examiners Board provisions modified, and rulemaking authorized.
HF2915 (Albright) Federal funds received by the state annual report required.
HF2868 (Pugh)  Veterans; subtraction for dentists who provide charity care to veterans allowed.
HF2825 (Wills) Manufactured home relocation trust fund changes made.
HF2342 (Dettmer) Capitol grounds memorial commemorating Minnesotans awarded the Medal of Honor provided.
HF2810 (Howe) Public safety officer death benefits modified, and definitions of the hometown heroes act adopted.

10:15 a.m.
House Agriculture Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Rod Hamilton
Agenda: HF3722 (Hamilton) Farm-to-food shelf program grant funding provided, and money appropriated
HF3363 (Hamilton) Good food access program established to provide financial and technical assistance to increase access to affordable foods, report required and money appropriated
Attachments: (4/7/2016) 16-7332.pdf

2:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Terri Bonoff
Agenda: Presentation by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities on Transfer Pathways report

Wednesday, April 13  

8:30 a.m.
Senate Tax Reform Division
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair Sen. Ann Rest
Agenda:
SF2981 (Jensen) K-12 teacher licensure and professional development income tax credit
SF2982 (Jensen) Teacher expenses income tax credit
SF2983 (Jensen) Student loan income tax credit for teachers establishment
SF3058 (Dahle) Student loan payment income tax credit
SF3060 (Jensen) Student loan payment income tax credit
SF3092 (Clausen) Student loan income tax credit establishment
SF3254 (Hoffman, J) Student loan payments income tax subtraction
SF1682 (Sieben) Student loan interest refundable income tax credit and appropriation

Thursday, April 14  

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

Important Links:

  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) SPREADSHEET (updated 4/8/16)
  • 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@so.mnscu.edu
Bernie Omann – Bernie.omann@so.mnscu.edu
Jim Grathwol – jim.grathwol@so.mnscu.edu