Lawmakers back at it; Conference committees set to meet

Lawmakers return to St. Paul today after a week-long recess in their home districts. Due to the snow last week, the Republican leadership fly-around was postponed until yesterday. GOP leaders set the tone for the final weeks of the 2011 legislative session. Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, R-Buffalo, said there is room for compromise, and leadership will cooperate with Gov. Dayton. "We're just not going to compromise our principles and we're not raising taxes. Minnesotans can't afford it," Koch said. Dayton and the Republican leadership will meet for breakfast today.

Look for long committee hearings this week as lawmakers work to meet the policy bill deadline by Friday. As of now, there are no higher education committee hearings or a conference committee scheduled. Stay tuned.

Today at the Capitol

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be at the Capitol today to speak about education with the MN Business Partnership.

8:15 AM
House Education Reform
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda:
HF1487 (Myhra) Statewide literacy initiative formulated to ensure students succeed in achieving grade-level reading proficiency by the end of grade 3, and data provided to improve student outcomes.
HF1381 (Erickson) Prekindergarten through grade 12 education policy provided, including general education, education excellence, special programs, facilities and technology, early childhood education, and student transportation.

8:30 AM
Senate Finance
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Claire A. Robling
Agenda:
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.

8:30 AM
Conference Committee on H.F. 42: Omnibus tax bill
Room: 112 Capitol
Chairs: Sen. Julianne E. Ortman and Rep. Greg Davids
CONFEREES:
SENATE: Ortman; Rosen; Senjem; Chamberlain; Limmer
HOUSE: Davids; Lenczewski; Runbeck; Anderson; Loon
Agenda: H.F. 42-Ortman: Omnibus tax bill.

9:30 AM
Conference Committee on S.F. 887: Omnibus jobs and economic development
Room: 107 Capitol
Chairs: Sen. Geoff Michel and Rep. Bob Gunther
CONFEREES:
SENATE: Michel; Pederson; Miller; Daley; Lillie
HOUSE: Gunther; Hoppe; McFarlane; Sanders; Kieffer
Agenda: S.F. 887-Michel: Omnibus jobs and economic growth and development appropriations.

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda: HF1440 (Beard) Hydroelectric facility municipal approval exception provided.
HF1506 (Banaian) Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy new duties assigned, duties transferred from executive agencies, and money appropriated.
HF1538 (Peppin) Contribution and expenditure limits modified.
HF1331 (Benson) State agencies required to enter into contracts to provide consulting services for improvements to state-operated systems and services.
HF1332 (Hansen) Legislative auditor governing provisions modified.
HF1339 (Abeler) My Life, My Choices Task Force established.
HF1363 (Scalze) Metrodome Task Force established.
HFXXXX (McFarlane) A bill for an act relating to counties; giving counties authority to provide for the general welfare; establishing an alternative service delivery pilot program for waivers; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 375.18, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 402A.

10:30 AM
Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Chris Gerlach
Agenda:
SF 26 (Rest): Homeowners insurance surcharge disclosure requirement
SF 918 (Gerlach) Omnibus Liquor Bill
SF 1208 (Sparks) Life insurance and title insurance reserves regulation

12:00 PM
House in Session

12:00 PM
Senate in Session

2:30 PM
House Commerce and Regulatory Reform
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joe Hoppe
HF1459 (Lanning) Minnesota State University, Morehead alcohol license restrictions modified.
HF1410 (ODriscoll) Workers compensation self-insurance groups permitted to substitute an insurance policy for a security deposit to ensure payment of claims.
HF1303 Revenue-based filing fee gradually adjusted beginning in fiscal year 2014.
HF1476 (Scott) Prevailing wage provisions modified.
HF1422 (Simon) Professional athlete drug and alcohol testing provisions modified.
HF441 (Loon) Collection of 911 fees from prepaid wireless telecommunications services provided.
HF611 (Gunther) Small business loan guarantee program created.
HF1485 (Kriesel) Lawful gambling tax rates modified, linked bingo and electronic pull-tabs provided for, and clarifying, conforming, and technical changes made.
HF1473 (Hoppe) Insurance definitions modified, life insurance and title insurance reserves modified, accounts and funding agreements regulated, obsolete and conflicting provisions repealed, and conforming changes made.

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda:
S.F. 619-Hann: School districts essential uses reserve account authorization.
S.F. 1167-Olson, G.: Prekindergarten through grade 12 education policy provisions modification.
S.F. 1062-Gerlach: Retired teachers to serve as coaches.
S.F. 1213-Nelson: Adult education performance tracking system modifications.

6:00 PM
House Data Practices Subcommittee
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Peggy Scott
Agenda: HF1466 (Scott) Data practices technical changes made.
HF1130 (Nornes) Student record and data use provided.
HF601 (Holberg) Optional disclosure of public appraisals provided by a government entity.
HF1060 (Beard) "Personnel data" definition modified; data obtained for design-build transportation projects, adopt-a-highway program related data, and mileage-based road users data classified; and traffic accident related data provisions modified.
HF1370 (Paymar) Law enforcement data sharing permitted.
HF1461 (Abeler) Human services licensing provisions changes made, data practice provisions changed, Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults Act amended, and Human Services Background Studies Act amended.
HF1533 (Peppin) Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board procedures and requirements changed.

7:30 PM
House Taxes
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Greg Davids
Agenda:
HF1231 (Paymar) Policy, technical, administrative, enforcement, and other changes made to individual income, corporate franchise, estate, sales and use, property, insurance, and other taxes and tax-related provisions, and conforming to Internal Revenue Code changes.
*NOTE: HF1231 is Governor Dayton's tax plan*

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, April 27

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda:
HF1309 (Kahn) State government finance; amount billed by the commissioner of management and budget for statewide services provided changed, general fund budget reserve maximum amount set, additional forecast balance allocated, which fund bond proceeds are credited to specified, Environmental Quality Board technical changes made, Enterprise Real Property Technology System funds availability extended, and money appropriated.
HF1036 (Sanders) State passenger vehicle fleet management and consolidation provided.
HF2 (Banaian) Zero-based budgeting required, and sunset advisory commission and sunset process established for state agencies.
HF384 (Dettmer) Campus veterans representative program sunset repealed.
HF1024 (Stensrud) Deputy commissioner numbers reduced and assistant commissioner position eliminated in the unclassified service.
HF1063 (Murray) Counties permitted to perform private audit meeting standards of state auditor.
HF886 (Lanning) Compulsive gambling money appropriated.

10:00 AM
Conference Committee on S.F. 1030: K-12 Education
Room 300S State Office Bldg.
Chairs: Sen. Gen Olson and Rep. Pat Garofalo
CONFEREES:
SENATE: Olson; Nelson; Thompson; Kruse; Wolf
HOUSE: Garofalo; Kelly; Doepke; Fabian; Erickson
Agenda: Continue walking through side by side documents.

1:00 PM
Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Mike Parry
Agenda:
S.F. 943-Ingebrigtsen: Miscellaneous aquaculture, game and fish, hunting, elk crop damage, fish and wildlife management plans, invasive species, natural resources department (DNR) provisions modifications.
S.F. 1146-Wolf: Public employees dues check off written request requirement for certain contributions.
S.F. 1100-Brown: Interest arbitration factor consideration for public sector labor relations.
S.F. 16-Wiger: Resolution urging Congress to investigate the Prisoner of War - Missing in Action (POW/MIA) issue.
S.F. 327-Miller: Fillmore county veterans cemetery requirement.
S.F. 994-Senjem: Bingo gross profits use for allowable expenses percent increase.
S.F. 878-Higgins: Honorary military service prior offense presumption of rehabilitation.
S.F. 1234-Kruse: Secretary of state business entities certificates issuance process provisions clarifications and modifications.
S.F. 1200-Nelson: State capitol preservation commission establishment and appropriation.
S.F. 361-Magnus: Mitochondrial disease awareness week establishment.
S.F. 959-Vandeveer: Disabled veterans homestead market value exemption extension to primary family caregiver.
S.F. 575-Newman: State agency rulemaking adoption legislative approval requirement.
S.F. 993-Newman: Contested case hearing by office of administrative hearings submission.
S.F. 1137-Hann: State agency programs designation as performance-based organizations for persons with disabilities.


Thursday, April 28

8:00 AM
Conference Committee on H.F. 42: Omnibus tax bill
Room: 15 Capitol
Chairs: Rep. Greg Davids, Sen. Julianne Ortman
Agenda: HF42 Omnibus Tax Bill

8:15 AM
House Education Reform
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: HF1381 (Erickson) Prekindergarten through grade 12 education policy provided, including general education, education excellence, special programs, facilities and technology, early childhood education, and student transportation.

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda:
HF554 (Johnson) Mississippi River Parkway Commission expiration date changed.
HF1411 (Kahn) Geospatial advisory council provisions changed and expiration date extended.
F1331 (Benson) State agencies required to enter into contracts to provide consulting services for improvements to state-operated systems and services.
HF1376 (Leidiger) E-Verify use required by state contractors.
HF1506 (Banaian) Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy new duties assigned, duties transferred from executive agencies, and money appropriated.

12:30 PM
House Jobs and Economic Development Finance
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bob Gunther
Agenda:
HF844 (McFarlane) Public library representative provided for the Governor's Workforce Development Council.
HF1164 (Murdock) JOBZ provisions modified.
HF1032 (Torkelson) Prevailing hours of labor requirements modified.