March 19 Special Election
With Senator Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, vacating his seat in the Minnesota House following his election to the Minnesota Senate earlier this month, another special election has been called for Tuesday, March 19 to fill that seat in House District 11B.
On the Republican side, two candidates have filed to run:
Ayrlahn Johnson
, a sales consultant at a business software company from Mora; and
Nathan Nelson
, a member of the Clover Township Board and the president of Pine County Farm Bureau. Nelson is the Republican-endorsed candidate. Johnson and Nelson will compete in a special primary on Tuesday, March 5.
Tim Burkhardt
is the sole DFL candidate in the race. Burkhardt, a member of the Hinckley City Council who ran for House District 11B in 2018, secured the DFL endorsement for the seat on February 18.
House District 11B, includes most of Pine County and the eastern portion of Kanabec County.
Next Week
Both the House and Senate higher education committees will hear from the Office of Higher Education regarding Governor Tim Walz’s higher education budget recommendation of $157.5 million next week.
As a reminder, Walz is recommending a $51.6 million increase for Minnesota State over the biennium, an increase of 3.6 percent. Of the $51.6 million, $43.6 million is for campus support, and $8 million is for Next Gen, a project that will replace the 20-year old outdated enterprise data system. Walz is also recommending full funding of Minnesota State’s capital budget request of $150 million in HEAPR projects across the system.
The higher education committees will also hear a variety of bills next week, as they work to meet the first committee deadline of March 15. We can expect hearings on individual bills up until that first deadline.
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Next Week at the Capitol
Monday, February 25
9:45 a.m.
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Lyndon Carlson
Agenda:
HF861 (Hansen) Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS) and Driver and Vehicle Services funding provided, report required, and money appropriated (pending referral from Transportation Finance Division)
HF 70 (Kunesh-Podein) Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women created, annual report on violence against indigenous women and girls required, and money appropriated
HF232 (Poppe) Farm families and business operators mental health counseling support funding provided (pending referral by Ag Fin. Division)
HF679 (Morrison) Children's residential treatment payment provisions effective date amended. HF 47 (P. Anderson) Agricultural fertilizer research and education fee, the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council, the Minnesota agricultural fertilizer research and education program, and the agricultural fertilizer research and education account extended by ten years.
HF129 (Sundin) Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities public members compensation and expense reimbursement required
HF374 (J. Xiong) Unemployment Insurance Advisory committee 2018 legislative session recommended changes adopted
HF1267 (Lippert) Minnesota Organic Advisory Task Force extended
HF13 (Kunesh-Podein) Proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution, article I, providing for gender equality under the law
MMB Overview of Governor Walz biennial budget recommendations
-Commissioner Myron Frans, Minnesota Management and Budget
-Britta Reitan, State Budget Director
10:00 a.m.
House Education Policy Committee
Room: State Office Building Room 5
Chair: Rep. Cheryl Youakim
Agenda:
HF853 (Torkelson) - Individualized education programs; functional behavior assessments allowed under certain circumstances.
HF854 (Torkelson) - Education; conciliation conference eliminated.
HF1005 (Pryor) - Conciliation conference requirements amended.
HF1277 (Cantrell) - Transition planning eliminated from starting in grade 9, and rulemaking authorized.
HF1289 (Her) - Education prior written notice requirements removed.
HF1390 (Moller) - Individualized education program requirements modified to permit student assessment performance reporting.
HF1517 (Bennett) - Individualized education program requirements modified.
HF1560 (Howard) - Paraprofessionals paid orientation required, paraprofessional training funding provided, and money appropriated.
11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session
1:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
Room: 1150 Senate Building
Chair: Sen. Eric R. Pratt
Agenda:
S.F. 988-Ingebrigtsen: Getting to work grant program establishment and appropriation.
S.F. 1369-Housley: Displaced homemaker programs appropriation.
S.F. 1224-Draheim: 180 Degrees job readiness training program expansion grant appropriation
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance and Policy
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Carla J. Nelson
Agenda: Review of the Governor's E-12 budget change items
3:00 p.m.
Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Torrey N. Westrom
Agenda:
S.F. 166-Johnson, M.: Livestock wolf depredation and crop and fence damage payments appropriations.
S.F. 1454-Lang: Rural finance authority bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 1494-Draheim: Noxious weed control appropriation.
S.F. 635-Weber: Agricultural fertilizer research and education fee, agricultural fertilizer research and education council, agricultural fertilizer research and education, and agricultural fertilizer research, and education account extensions.
S.F. 78-Westrom: Off-sale alcoholic beverage sales exclusion when determining a food handler license fee authorization.
S.F. 1329-Bigham: Donated venison processing reimbursement increase.
3:30 p.m.
House in Session
Tuesday, February 26
8:00 a.m.
House Taxes
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Paul Marquart
Agenda:
HF 1357 (Schultz) Exempting car-sharing services from the special tax and fee on short-term motor vehicle rentals
HF 1073 (Davnie) Education instructional materials exemption modified
HF 1083 (Petersburg) Clarifying exemption on nonprofit tickets or admissions
HF 1356 (O’Neil) Providing a construction exemption for a fire station in the city of Monticello
8:00 a.m.
House Jobs and Economic Development Finance Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda: Governor's Budget Presentation
Department of Employment and Economic Development
Commerce Department
8:00 a.m.
House Capital Investment
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Murphy
Agenda:
HF XXX (Layman) Grand Rapids Civic Center - Pending Introduction
HF1469 (Nornes) Fergus Falls riverfront corridor development funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF607 (Olson) Duluth; St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center asset preservation funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF238 (Davids) Chatfield Center for the Arts funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF936 (Sandstede) Hibbing mine view grant project funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF96 (Demuth) St. Joseph; Community Center project phase 1 funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1366 (Torkelson) New Ulm German Park Amphitheater funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1333 (Sauke) Rochester Graham Park Regional Event Center renovation and expansion funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF166 (Theis) St. Cloud; municipal athletic complex funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
9:45 a.m.
House Government Operations Committee
Room: Basement hearing room State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mike Freiberg
Agenda:
HF70 (Kunesh-Podien): Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women created, annual report on violence against indigenous women and girls required, and money appropriated.
HF5 (Halverson)
PENDING REFERRAL
: Paid family, pregnancy, bonding and applicant's serious medical condition benefits provided; employment leaves regulated and required; data classified; rulemaking authorized; and money appropriated.
HF11 (Lesch): Earned sick and safe time provided, rulemaking authorized, civil penalties imposed, and reports required.
9:45 a.m.
House Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jeanne Poppe
Agenda:
Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association Video
HF 811 (Lippert) Farm to school funding
HF 1096 (Wazlawik) Farm to food shelf funding
HF 1301 (Anderson) Additional milk for food shelf funding
Dairy Bills
HF 1021 (Anderson) Establishing a dairy producer conservation incentive program
Additional bills will be added after Thursday bill introductions
9:45 a.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Davnie
Agenda:
Teacher of the Year Presentations
HF 1282 (Murphy) Regional public library systems aid distribution modified
Informational hearing on HF 247 (Kunesh-Podein) Establishes a grant program to increase student access to licensed library media specialist
Other bills may be added to the agenda.
1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Paul T. Anderson
Agenda:
S.F. 641-Bakk: Cook county higher education board educational programming and academic support services to remote regions in northeaster Minnesota appropriation.
S.F. 1017-Draheim: Mental health services at Minnesota state colleges appropriation.
S.F. 143-Newton: Anoka Technical College secondary technical education program fabrication lab grant authorization and appropriation
2:30 p.m.
House Higher Education Finance & Policy Committee
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Connie Bernardy
Agenda:
HF 550 (Pryor):
Student loan debt counseling grant funding provided, report required, and money appropriated
HF 583 (Huot):
Student loan refinancing program eligibility expanded, and money appropriated.
HF 401 (Ecklund):
Cook County Higher Education Board funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF 1015 (Ecklund):
Minnesota state two-year colleges outside of the metropolitan area aid provide, and money appropriated.
HF 984 (Becker-Finn):
Chronic wasting disease test development funding provided, and money appropriated.
2:30 p.m.
House Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Division
Room: Capitol 120
Chair: Rep. Rob Ecklund
Agenda: Presentation of Governor's 2020-21 Budget Proposal:
Benjamin Johnson, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
Don Kerr, Minnesota Department of Military Affairs
HF889 (J. Xong) Military veterans definitions modified
*HF203 (O'Neill) Data sharing permitted to administer the disabled veteran's homestead market value exclusion
*HF172 (Grossell) POW and MIA Recognition Day established
2:30 p.m.
House Education Policy
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Cheryl Youakim
Agenda:
HF1026 (Freiberg) - School safety technical assistance center and School Safety Technical Assistance Council extended.
HF1343 (Morrison) - Sunscreen possession and use at school provided.
HF1111 (Hassan) - Postsecondary education enrollment options eligibility clarified.
HF847 (Her) - High School graduation personal finance required.
HF249 (Urdahl) - Graduation and civics testing requirements modified to ensure students adequately prepared to be capable citizens able to fully participate in the political process.
5:00 p.m.
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement
Room: G3 State Capitol
Chair: 2017-18 Chair Senator Julie A. Rosen
Agenda:
Election of 2019-2020 Commission officers:
- Chair
- Vice Chair
- Secretary
Discussion of 2019 priorities
Wednesday, February 27
1:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Eric R. Pratt
Agenda:
S.F. 1265-Anderson, P.: Youth skills training program modification and appropriation.
S.F. 1121-Johnson, M.: Advocating Change Together appropriation.
S.F. 790-Draheim: Job skills training for recently released inmates appropriation.
S.F. 797-Housley: Neighborhood Development Center grant appropriation
2:30 p.m.
House Higher Education Finance & Policy Committee
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Connie Bernardy
Agenda: Office of Higher Education presentation of the Governor's Higher Ed budget
2:30 p.m.
House Education Policy Committee
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Cheryl Youakim
Agenda:
HF945 (Wazlawik) - Textbook definition modified.
HF428 (Gruenhagen) - Textbook definition modified, and obsolete language deleted.
HF835 (Christensen) - Minnesota Reads task force to review children and adult literacy programs established, report required, and money appropriated.
HF824 (Kunesh-Podein) - Increase Teachers of Color Act funding provided, seeking to double American Indian teachers and teachers of color, reports required, and money appropriated.
2:30 p.m.
House Labor
Room: Capitol 120
Chair: Rep. Mike Sundin
Agenda:
HF 947 (Mahoney) Employers prohibited from requiring disclosure of past wages
HF 726 (Brand) State Building Code; commissioner of labor and industry required to convene a stakeholder group to review and make recommendations on the building code to the legislature.
HF 878 (Mahoney) Building and construction contract retainage requirements modified
HF 879 (Sundin) Building and construction contract requirements modified and clarified.
3:00 p.m.
Senate E-12 Finance and Policy
Room: 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Carla J. Nelson
Agenda:
S.F. 340-Draheim: Pregnant and parenting pupils transportation to certain qualifying educational programs requirement and appropriation.
S.F. 663-Chamberlain: Homeless students pupil transportation authority assignment and appropriation.
S.F. 238-Housley: Pupil transportation adjustment calculation modification; pupil transportation working group establishment.
S.F. 952-Goggin: Nonresident students within resident districts transportation provisions modification; achievement and integration district transfers modification.
S.F. 485-Nelson: Competency-based education plan school district or charter school adoption authorization.
6:30 p.m.
House Capital Investment
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Murphy
Agenda:
HF XXX (Dehn) Minneapolis; Upper St. Anthony Lock redevelopment Pending Introduction
HF1106 (Jurgens) Hastings City Hall renovation funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF944 (Stephenson) Champlin Mississippi Point Park improvements funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1345 (Becker-Finn) Guidant John Rose Minnesota OVAL renovation funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1451 (Klevorn) Plymouth Creek Center renovation and expansion funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1481 (Lillie) Battle Creek winter recreation area funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1350 (Mahoney) St. Paul East Side Freedom Library funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF935 (Bierman) Lakeville environmental learning center funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1355 (Claflin) South St. Paul women's suffrage monument funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1067 (Moran) St. Paul Victoria Theater funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF937 (Gomez) Minneapolis American Indian Center expansion and renovation funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF806 (Her) St. Paul playwrights center facility funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Thursday, February 28
8:00 a.m.
House Capital Investment
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Murphy
Agenda:
HF1080 (Xiong) St. Paul Third Street/Kellogg Boulevard bridge replacement funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1068 (Howard) Richfield; 77th street underpass project funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF387 (Murphy) Minneapolis and Duluth; high-speed passenger rail funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF545 (Pinto) Riverview Corridor Transitway funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF528 (Fischer) Ramsey County; Rush Line Corridor Transitway funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF529 (Mahoney) Ramsey County; East Metro Rail Corridor funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF1493 (Hausman) Passenger rail infrastructure development funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF1179 (Wolgamott) St. Cloud Northstar Commuter Rail extension funding provided, report required, bonds issued, and money appropriated
8:00 a.m.
House Jobs and Economic Development Finance Division
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Mahoney
Agenda:
HF 141
(Poppe) Port authorities; majority vote of commissioners required to approve real property sales and transfers.
HF 678
(Davnie) Job skills training for recently released inmates funding provided
HF 955
(Koegel) SciTechsperience program funding provided
HF 1088
(Xiong, J) Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs grant
9:45 a.m.
House Government Operations
Room: Basement hearing room State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mike Freiberg
Agenda:
HF586 (Becker-Finn): Veteran suicide awareness day declared.
HF505 (Fischer): State flag design task force created.
HF1216 (Schultz): Duluth regional exchange district estaestablishment authorized, state general sales tax exemption provided, advisory board created, powers and duties conferred, tax abatement and tax increment financing rules provided, local sales and use tax imposition authorized, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HF987 (Richardson): Low-income student access to driver education programs expanded, driver education work group established, report required, and money appropriated.
HF1017 (Claflin): Women's Suffrage 100th Anniversary Commemoration Commission established, appointments provided, and money appropriated.
HF525 (Persell): Pupil transportation adjustment calculation modified, pupil transportation working group provided, and report required.
1:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Paul T. Anderson
Agenda: Presentation from the Office of Higher Education regarding the Governor's budget recommendations
3:00 p.m.
Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Policy
Room: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Sen. Bill Weber
Agenda:
S.F. 1585-Rarick: Bioincentive program modification; account creation and appropriation.
S.F. 255-Johnson, M.: Beginning farmer tax credits eligibility modification.
S.F. 1446-Weber: Spark ignition motor fuel wholesalers and retailers technical assistance and technology promotion grants appropriation.
S.F. 1414-Weber: Agricultural, aquaculture, pesticide control, food handlers, dairy incentive programs, loan programs, soil, and agriculture basins provisions modifications.
S.F. 1346-Goggin: Farm-to-school program and appropriation.
