Updates from the Government Relations team are sent periodically during the legislative session.                                                  
Legislative Update - May 17, 2016
Joint budget target negotiations

With more cards on the table, legislative leaders are hoping joint budget targets are within reach.

The new House Republican budget plan announced in a press conference earlier this morning would spend $835 million of the state’s projected $900 million budget surplus as follows:

  • $450 million for tax relief;
  • $300 million for roads and bridges;
  • $65 million on the supplemental budget; and
  • $20 million for bonding debt service.

Both the Senate DFL and Gov. Mark Dayton have proposed spending more than $450 million in supplemental sending.

House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) said he hopes leadership will agree on joint budget targets by the end of the day. Daudt is scheduled to meet with Dayton and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the State Office Building.

Although House Republicans presented their latest plan as a compromise, Daudt acknowledged that it is still significantly different from what the governor and Senate DFLers have proposed.

“It’s not easy, we’re not just $20 million apart here and there, we’re significantly apart,” Daudt said.

The supplemental budget conference committee is scheduled to meet at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Room 10 of the State Office Building. 
  House to release bonding bill on Wednesday
As mentioned in the House Republican news conference earlier this morning, Rep. Torkelson (R-Hanska) announced that the Capital Investment committee will meet on Wednesday and release the House bonding bill. HF3692 and a delete all amendment will be presented. Committee documents can be found HERE.
This week at the Capitol

Tuesday, May 17

5:00 p.m.
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sarah Anderson
Agenda: HF659 (O'Driscoll): Disability application deadlines for the general state employees retirement plan modified

6:00 p.m. (or at the call of the chair)
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim O'Driscoll
Agenda:
Amendment H2807-12A: PERA Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Plan; Delete requirement that the first relief association to join the monthly benefit division be reimbursed for PERA's administrative expenses by relief associations that join later.
Amendment H2807-11A: Technical corrections.
Amendment H2807-16A: MSRS, TRA, SPTRFA; Reduction of COLA for one year, elimination of COLA triggers and, for SPTRFA, increase in employer contribution.
2016 Omnibus Retirement Bill, in the form of delete-all amendment H2807-10A.

8:00 p.m.
Supplemental Budget Conference Committee
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Knoblach, Sen. Richard Cohen
Agenda: HF2749 (Knoblach): Supplemental budget bill

Wednesday, May 18

9:15 a.m. 
House Ways and Means
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Knoblach
Agenda: Consideration of an amendment to the budget resolution. Bills may be added to the agenda
Meeting will convene during floor recess at the call of the chair. The committee meeting will likely recess and reconvene following completion of floor session.

11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session

12:30 p.m.
House Capital Investment
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Paul Torkelson
Agenda: HF3692 (Torkelson): Public land, building, and other capital improvement spending authorized; previous appropriations modified; new programs established; existing programs modified; bonds issued; and money appropriated.
There will be a DE amendment for HF3692
Capital Investment will convene in room 10 following the recess of Ways and Means

Thursday, May 19

At the Call of the Chair
Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development
Room: 2308 Minnesota Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Terri E. Bonoff
Agenda: Office of the Legislative Auditor, a review of restructuring currently underway at the University of Minnesota related to human subject research and clinical drug studies.  

Important Links:

  • Most recent bill introductions related to higher education (compiled by Government Relations team) SPREADSHEET (updated 4/20/16)
  • 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