Higher ed round table discussed held; Conference Committee to meet; Special election today

Roundtable discussions on higher education funding

Gov. Mark Dayton is hosting a roundtable discussion on the impact of cuts as proposed in the higher education appropriation bills headed for conference committee later this week. Topics of discussion include the consequences of spending cuts on people, jobs and tuition. Individuals have been asked to participate in the discussion, including Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Jim McCormick, University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks, and Director for the Minnesota Office of Higher Education Sheila Wright. Faculty and students have also been invited to participate. The event will be held Wednesday, April 13, 10:00 a.m. (expected duration 1 - 1 ½ hours) in the Ecolab Community Room at Metropolitan State University.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum is also hosting a roundtable discussion on higher education. Congresswoman McCollum's discussion will be focused on the federal level, and the potential consequences of federal budget cuts to higher education. This event is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 28, at Metropolitan State University, Founders Hall.

Conference committee activity

The Senate appointed conferees yesterday for all the budget bills. The conferees for the higher education finance bill are: Sen. Michelle Fischbach, R-Paynesville; Sen. John Carlson, R-Bemidj; Sen. David Brown, R-Becker; Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan; and Sen. David Senjem, R-Rochester.

As a reminder, the House higher education conferees are: Rep. Bud Nornes, R-Fergus Falls; Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake; Rep. Kurt Daudt, R-Crown; Rep. Pat Mazorol, R-Bloomington; and Rep. David Hancock, R-Bemidji.

The ten conferees will meet to discuss the similarities and differences between the House and Senate higher education bills and work to come to an agreement for one conference report. A conference committee has been scheduled for Thursday, April 14 at 12:30 to walk through the side-by-side of the two bills and go over the spreadsheet.

Both the House and Senate adjourned floor session yesterday with the intention to not meet on the floor until Thursday. This will give committees time to process policy bills, and conference committees will begin to meet.

The first conference committee to meet was the committee to negotiate the agriculture and rural development finance bill. Conferees approved a final report yesterday, which will be sent back to both bodies for approval. As a reminder, a conference report cannot be amended, but rather can only be voted up or down. If voted down, it will be sent back to conference committee to rework it.

Today at the Capitol

The special election will be held in Senate District 66 between DFL candidate Mary Jo McGuire and Republican candidate Greg Copeland to replace DFL Sen. Ellen Anderson who left to lead the Public Utilities Commission.

8:15 AM
House Education Reform
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda:
HF682 (Kiel) Career and technical levy modified, and career and technical education credits provided.
HF617 (Woodard) AmeriCorps Innovation aligned to federal law.
HF575 (Erickson) Probationary teacher and principal status governing requirements clarified.
HF563 (Moran) School board creation of full-service school zones authorized.

8:30 AM
Senate Finance
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Claire A. Robling
Agenda:
S.F. 712-Carlson, J.: State lands valuation methods for acquired lands modification; adopt-a-WMA (wildlife management area) program establishment; state parks, forests, recreation areas and wildlife management areas additions and deletions; public and private sales of cer.
S.F. 930-Robling: Deficiency funding appropriations for public safety department, judicial standards board, tax court, and secretary of state; state-owned land minimum sale requirement modification.

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda:
HF1117 (O'Driscoll) Bond requirements for state depositories changed.
HF1152 (Sanders) Pawnbrokers pledged goods return and location restrictions regulated.
HF1171 (Westrom) Nonprofit organizations receiving a grant or direct appropriation from the state conditions imposed.
HF745 (Mack) Autism Spectrum Disorder Task Force created, appointments provided, and development of a statewide strategic plan required.

10:30 AM
Senate Jobs and Economic Growth
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Geoff Michel
Agenda:
S.F. 1130-Pederson: Unemployment insurance and workforce development provisions modifications.
H.F. 664-Metzen: Elevator code changes compliance timeline modification.
S.F. 588-DeKruif: Well contractor licensing requirements modifications.
H.F. 529-Magnus: Agricultural building roof panels equivalent load bearing capacity requirement.

2:30 PM
House Capital Investment
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Larry Howes
Agenda: HF369 (Banaian) Capital investment return determination information required.
HF194 (Anderson) State agencies required to track and report on the number of jobs created or retained as a result of capital project funding.

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda:
S.F. 612-Benson: Youth athlete concussion policies establishment.
S.F. 901-Pederson: Early childhood services and programs for full kindergarten readiness coordination

5:00 PM
Conference Committee on Omnibus Education Finance bill
CONFEREES:
SENATE: Olson; Nelson; Thompson; Kruse; Wolf
HOUSE: Garofalo; Kelly; Doepke; Fabian; Erickson
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chairs: Rep. Pat Garofalo and Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda: Walk-through of side by sides of HF934 (Garofalo/Olson, G.) Omnibus Education Finance bill.

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, April 13

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: HF1234 (Downey) Commissioner of administration required to issue a request for proposals and enter into a contract for strategic sourcing consulting services.

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda:
HF984 (Hackbarth) Game and fish; aquaculture provisions modified; compensation and assistance provisions for crop damage by elk modified; fish and wildlife management plan requirements modified; invasive species provisions modified; taking, possessing, and transporting wild animal provisions modified; acquisition procedures modified; penalty and license provisions modified; invasive species control provisions modified; and landowner liability for state walk-in access program limited.
HF1036 (Sanders) State passenger vehicle fleet management and consolidation provided.
HF1088 (Drazkowski) State agency natural disaster response provisions modified.
HF462 (Norton) Nurse Licensure Compact and appointments provided.

1:00 PM
Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Mike Parry
Agenda:
S.F. 51-Koch: Female-veteran license plate designation for special veterans license plates or Gold Star license plates.
S.F. 509-Limmer: Voter photo identification requirement; picture identification issuance provisions; provisional balloting procedure establishment; challenged voter eligibility list establishment; electronic polling place roster standard for use establishment and use.

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda:
S.F. 452-Vandeveer: Charter school as educational entity within a school district pilot project for charter district #4116, Lakes International Language Academy and independent school district #831, Forest Lake.
S.F. 946-DeKruif: School districts joint operation and innovative delivery of education pilot project establishment.
S.F. 977-Wolf: Charter school revenue formulas modifications.

Thursday, April 14

8:15 AM,
House Education Reform
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda:
SF170 (Kieffer) Teacher candidates required to pass basic skills exam.
HF966 (Mariani) Teacher Tenure Act modified for school districts located in a city of the first class.

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda:
HF1376 (Leidiger) E-Verify use required by state contractors.
HF1205 (Holberg) County park fee restriction modified.
HF1411 (Kahn) Geospatial advisory council provisions changed and expiration date extended.

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

12:30 PM
Conference Committee on H.F. 1101: higher education finance bill
CONFEREES:
SENATE: Fischbach; Robling; Senjem; Carlson; Brown
HOUSE: Nornes; Dettmer; Daudt; Hancock; Mazorol
Room: 300N State Office Bldg.
Chairs: Sen. Michelle L. Fischbach and Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Summary and Discussion of House and Senate Language and Appropriation Differences

3:00 PM
House in Session