Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House received several Senate messages, including Senate concurrence in a conference committee report on House File 3765 relating to natural resources and final Senate action on Senate File 3008, the omnibus liquor bill. Representative Stevenson explained that SF 3008 modernizes liquor laws by expanding distillery cocktail room access, allowing smaller distillers to sell more bottle sizes, freeing growlers for brewery sales, increasing flexibility for many brewers, and revising the Coleman Act to address distribution and competition issues. Representative Nash also spoke in strong support, emphasizing benefits for craft beverage makers and local provisions such as town team baseball, while Representative Neu Brindley noted the bill’s improvements but said it still leaves winners and losers and does not solve every issue. The House adopted the conference report and later repassed the bill 111-21. The House then passed Senate File 4108, a commerce bill updating annuity sales protections. Representative Watun said the bill preserves Minnesota’s strong senior protections while adopting NAIC best-interest standard revisions, including care, disclosure, conflict-of-interest, and documentation obligations for producers. The bill was supported by insurers, agents, and the Department of Commerce, and it passed 129-4. The House also concurred in Senate amendments to House File 3346, the state government contracts and compensation bill, which adds additional labor agreements and compensation plans for state workers. Representative Lilly said the bill covers about 45,000 workers, includes roughly a 2.5% increase, a new holiday, health care changes, mammogram access, and annual dental buy-in options. Members praised state workers’ service and the bipartisan nature of the agreements, and the bill was repassed 108-25. Finally, the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to House File 1829, relating to discrimination against organ or bone marrow, and appointed a conference committee of Her, Akem, and Keel. The House then adopted noncontroversial motions and adjourned until Saturday, May 21, 2022.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, a roll call establishing a quorum, and several routine messages from the House. The House refused to concur in Senate amendments to House File 3765, a natural resources bill, and requested a conference committee; the House also transmitted passage of House Files 3394 and 3775. The Senate gave first reading to House bills, adopted committee reports printing the agenda, and later took second reading on House Files 3255, 3400, and 3955. Senate Resolution 144 was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. The main floor debate centered on a motion to withdraw Senate File 965 from the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy, give it a second reading, and place it on General Orders. Senators Port, Deans, Kent, and Murphy spoke in support, arguing the bill was urgent because of the nationwide baby formula shortage and the need to prohibit price gouging and give the attorney general enforcement authority. They said Minnesota lacked anti-price-gouging protections that many other states have, and described families struggling to find formula and the harm caused by profiteering during emergencies. After debate, the Senate voted on the motion and it prevailed, placing Senate File 965 on General Orders. The chamber then considered House File 844, using the same procedure to withdraw it from committee and place it on General Orders; the motion passed by roll call, 55-11. Finally, the Senate approved a conference committee report for House File 3765 and appointed Senators Westrom, Ingebrigtsen, and Her to the conference committee, then recessed to the call of the President.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Transportation Conference Committee met in hybrid format and established a quorum. Members first adopted a working agreement containing several technical transportation policy corrections, including amendments SCH-4293A-80, H4293A-59, and SCH-4293A-85, along with a staff correction changing a reference from 24B to 26B. The committee then adopted the SCH-4293A-102 amendment, which revises the newspaper notice requirement for elections by replacing the term “sample ballot” with a broader notice, adjusting publication timing, and adding website and contact information for voters. The committee also adopted SJJ-0026, allowing the Legislative Commission on Cyber Security to hold closed meetings when discussing sensitive security matters, with members noting it had support from the IT office and the bipartisan commission. The committee next reconsidered and then adopted SJJ-0027, replacing earlier nonprofit grant language in A86 with simpler Department of Administration grants management language requiring executive agencies to follow general grants policies and procedures. After that, Senator Dibble moved to add House language covering Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples Day. The Juneteenth portion drew testimony from several supporters, who said June 19 should be recognized as the date of emancipation, that the holiday carries educational and cultural importance, and that it would not impose costs on private employers. Supporters of Indigenous Peoples Day said it would honor Native communities and help education in higher education and K-12. Representative Cagle also spoke in favor, saying learning about historical injustices had changed his perspective. Senator Kiffmeyer objected to the combined motion, saying the Juneteenth date change was acceptable but the Indigenous Peoples Day language was not, and the motion was separated. The committee then voted on the Juneteenth-related House language in section 3 on page R4-A2. A roll call was taken, but after some confusion over the vote count and the requirement that a conference committee motion pass both chambers, the chair ruled that the motion did not carry because there was not a majority on both sides. The committee then moved on to discuss the second part of Senator Dibble’s proposal, but the transcript ends before a final disposition is shown.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The meeting was called to order briefly, but the chair explained that negotiations were still ongoing and that the committee would not proceed with normal business. The chair noted that the other group was absent, said no attendance would be taken, and indicated the meeting was being held only because it was the scheduled time. The chair reported that there had been good progress in negotiations and that the parties would continue meeting within the next two hours. If an agreement was reached, the chair said the committee could be called back together. The meeting then went into recess until the call of the chair.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate first handled routine motions, including adding Senator Jasinsky as a co-author to Senate File 1158. It then considered a motion to suspend the rules and bring House File 844, a price-gouging bill, to the floor for immediate third reading and final passage. After a roll call, the motion failed with 39 ayes and 27 nays, so the bill was not advanced under that procedure. The chamber then took up House File 961, a labor bill involving a supervisory law enforcement unit. The House had already adopted the conference committee report, and the Senate agreed to the report and passed the bill as amended. The discussion noted that the agreement deleted an appropriation until a future union-related condition is met. The conference report was adopted and the bill received third reading and final adoption by a vote of 66-0. A major portion of the meeting focused on Senate File 3008, the liquor/alcohol omnibus and Coleman Act bill. Supporters described it as a long-negotiated modernization of alcohol laws, including changes for distilleries, breweries, wineries, county fairs, social districts, racing facilities, and off-sale liquor stores. Key provisions included raising the growler cap, allowing small brewers to sell 128 ounces in different container sizes, expanding distillery cocktail room and bottle-sale options, and increasing wine-shipping limits. The bill also included a $250,000 annual appropriation for two additional Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement inspectors. Most members spoke in favor, emphasizing benefits for small businesses and local economies, while Senator Johnson objected that the bill did not include enough resources for addiction, law enforcement, and social services. The conference committee report was adopted, and the bill passed 66-0.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee on HF 4293 met on May 21, 2022, with a quorum present and first took up transportation policy items. Staff walked through a package of agreed-upon provisions covering motor vehicle dealer licensing enforcement, Municipal State-Aid Screening Board changes, REAL ID document eligibility, ignition interlock and non-cancelable insurance requirements, pipeline safety penalties, a data security account appropriation for the Legislative Auditor, veteran designation eligibility on driver’s licenses, pavement life-cycle cost analysis, a new permit for overweight/overwidth transported vehicles, and a special farm permit for raw or processed grass seed. Members noted a typographical correction to a reviser page reference, and the transportation motion to adopt the package, as corrected, passed unanimously by voice vote. The committee then turned to state government items, focusing heavily on a Senate proposal related to state law enforcement compensation and pattern bargaining. Senator Howe and supporters argued that state troopers and other law enforcement officers remain below comparable agencies and that the bill should require MMB to use OLA salary studies rather than pattern bargaining when negotiating wages. Testifiers from the Minnesota Conservation Officers Association and the Minnesota Law Enforcement Association said the current system has left state law enforcement behind comparable agencies, hurt recruitment and retention, and justified legislative intervention. MMB Deputy Commissioner Britta Rayton responded that the agency’s concern was not with the officers themselves but with the broader bargaining implications of defining bad faith in law, warning of ripple effects across negotiations for many other employees. After discussion, the committee rejected the proposal on a roll call vote, with the motion failing 4 Senate votes to 2 House votes under conference committee rules. Earlier in the state government discussion, the committee also revisited Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day language. Senator Dibble offered two separate proposals: one to define Juneteenth as June 19 in state law without making it a holiday, and another to add Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a designation for the second Monday in October without striking Columbus Day language. Both proposals were brought to roll call and each failed on a 5-5 vote. After the law enforcement compensation vote, the chair announced the committee would recess to the call of the chair, with further work expected later and at least 30 minutes’ notice if the committee reconvened.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Education Finance Conference Committee spent most of the meeting debating the major points of difference between the House and Senate education finance proposals. The Senate side emphasized holding firm on its literacy and special education positions, arguing for a $941 million special education cross-subsidy buy-down over three years and a large literacy investment, while the House argued it had already moved significantly and had offered a broader framework that also included mental health, early childhood, and other student supports. Both sides repeatedly referenced the need to reach a compromise, but the exchange became increasingly contentious over whether the Senate was negotiating in good faith and whether the House proposal was sufficiently responsive. Several members and chairs highlighted policy items that appeared to have bipartisan or noncontroversial support, including recess for all, teacher shortage area definitions, Metro Deaf School provisions, PSEO-related items such as the gag rule, GPA weighting, and reporting requirements, as well as financial literacy and civics. House members also pressed for broader literacy implementation supports, especially MTSS, arguing that letters training alone would not be enough and that teachers need classroom-level support. Senate members pushed back on MTSS as potentially adding bureaucracy, while House members said it was optional and intended to support teachers and improve implementation. Testimony from House members stressed that students need to feel safe, be fed, and have access to mental health supports, pre-K investments, and discipline changes such as suspension limits. They argued that schools, parents, and students across Minnesota were asking for more than just literacy and special education funding. Senate members countered that school leaders were asking primarily for funding to cover special education cross-subsidies and literacy, and that districts should be able to use the money flexibly at the local level. No final agreement or vote was reached, and the meeting ended with a recess so the Senate could prepare a revised proposal.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: This Capitol Report episode focused on retiring senators Patricia Torres Ray and Chris Eaton, along with a late-session budget framework and a failed push to bring cannabis legalization to the Senate floor. Torres Ray reflected on being the first Latina in the Minnesota Senate, her work on education policy and closing achievement gaps, her advocacy for more diverse teachers, and her frustration that her district has not received enough help rebuilding after the George Floyd unrest. She also said environmental and climate issues remain urgent and emphasized her belief that policy should be shaped with direct input from the people affected. Eaton discussed her long record on opioid policy, rooted in the death of her daughter from an overdose. She highlighted laws she helped pass that expanded naloxone access, protected people seeking help from prosecution, created a fee on opioid manufacturers and distributors, and established the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council. Eaton said the opioid crisis has shifted from overprescribing to fentanyl and counterfeit pills, and she urged more local, grassroots, and culturally specific outreach, especially in communities that struggle to access grant funding. She also said prescription monitoring has improved doctor prescribing practices, though some overprescribing remains. The program also reported that Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders agreed on a framework for using Minnesota’s $9.2 billion surplus, including $4 billion in tax relief, $1 billion each for health and human services and E-12 education, $450 million for judiciary and public safety, and additional funding for transportation, housing, energy, higher education, agriculture, broadband, mental health, and drought relief. Finally, a Senate DFL attempt to withdraw cannabis legalization from general orders and force a floor vote failed on a 31-33 vote, leaving the issue unresolved as session neared its end.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House considered the conference committee report on Senate File 3008, the omnibus liquor bill, and Representative Stevenson moved adoption of the report and re-passage of the bill. Stevenson described the measure as a modernization of Minnesota liquor laws intended to help craft breweries and distilleries, including allowing distilleries to keep cocktail rooms as they grow, giving smaller distillers more flexibility in bottle sales, freeing growler sales after final enactment, expanding beer sales flexibility for most brewers, and revising the Coleman Act to address distribution issues. He also noted local provisions such as the World Cup broadcast language and the Anoka social district. Representative Nash strongly supported the bill, calling it a historic update to antiquated liquor laws and emphasizing benefits for craft beverage manufacturers, including growler sales and distillery bottle sales. Representative Neu Brindley said the bill contains long-sought changes that would help some constituents and brewers, but argued there are still winners and losers and that the bill does not solve all problems, while also noting the legislature cannot bind future legislatures. Stevenson closed by thanking members from both parties, conferees, and liquor industry stakeholders, and urged a green vote. The House adopted the conference report and gave the bill its third reading as amended by conference. After roll call, the bill was re-passed as amended by conference by a vote of 111 ayes and 21 nays, and its title was agreed to. The Senate message at the start of the transcript also announced that the Senate had concurred in and adopted the conference report and re-passed the bill.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The segment was an interview with retiring Minnesota Senator Patricia Torres Ray reflecting on her legislative career and priorities. She discussed being the first Latina in the Minnesota Senate and said she is honored to be seen as a trailblazer, noting that representation has inspired others to run for office. She emphasized her long focus on education policy, including efforts to close the achievement gap, support English learners, increase accountability, and recruit more Indigenous teachers and teachers of color. She also highlighted the LEAPS Act, which she said helped drive deeper policy review in education and drew national attention. Torres Ray spoke at length about the impact of the George Floyd unrest on her district, saying many businesses have not rebuilt and that vacant lots remain. She said the Legislature has done too little to help the area recover and described the lack of support as one of the most frustrating parts of her career. She also addressed environment and energy issues as the ranking minority member on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, saying she is hopeful because public understanding is growing, but frustrated that legislative action has not matched the urgency of climate and environmental threats. In discussing her legacy, she said she is most proud of bringing people directly into policymaking and insisting that decisions should not be made without those affected being part of the conversation. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in this interview segment.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The conference committee on House File 3420 met to continue negotiations on drought relief and related agriculture provisions, with members noting ongoing discussions and the need to align the House and Senate packages. Staff walked through a drought relief spreadsheet and reviser language covering funding for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Rural Finance Authority, the University of Minnesota veterinary diagnostic lab, the Agriculture Emergency Fund, and the Department of Natural Resources. The drought package totaled about $18.4 million over fiscal years 2022-23, including $8.1 million for livestock and specialty crop producer grants, $2.5 million for RFA disaster recovery loans, $1 million for veterinary lab equipment, $1.5 million for the ag emergency fund, $300,000 for well interference issues, and $5 million for replacing drought-killed seedlings. Members discussed the drought grant application process in detail. Department staff explained that applications would be open for at least 10 business days, with additional time for mailed, postmarked applications, and that the department would track requests as they came in to determine whether payments would need to be prorated. If the first round exceeded available funds, awards would be prorated; if not, the department could reopen applications and process later submissions on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff also confirmed there would be an online application portal as well as a mail option, and that grants would equal eligible expenses up to a $7,500 cap per farmer. Members emphasized outreach, especially to specialty crop growers and farmers who may not follow traditional ag media. The committee then reviewed the broader agriculture provisions in House File 4366. The agreement included funding for Forever Green, a regional food systems report, bioincentive payments, livestock processing facility grants, agricultural mental health specialists, soil health assistance, emerging farmers, IT modernization, the egg emergency fund, the veterinary diagnostic lab, beginner farmer tax credit infrastructure, the egg innovation campus, aquaculture planning, farm down payment assistance, meat processing education grants, and AURI items. Staff highlighted that the emerging farmers funding would support technical assistance, premium support under USDA’s micro farm risk management program, and grants to the Good Acre/LEAF program for donated crops. Statutory changes were also reviewed, including limits on ag emergency account uses, reestablishment of cooperative grants with a dollar-for-dollar match, and changes to livestock investment grants. No final vote was taken on the drought reviser document during the portion of the meeting provided; Senator Westrom indicated the Senate wanted to move the full package together and hold off on adopting the document at that time.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee on S.F. 4410 met to work through agreed-upon policy and fiscal items for the health and human services bill. Members adopted several amendments and sections without opposition, including changes related to assisted living bathtub variances, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder grant funding, the Eliminating Duplicative Background Studies Initiative, Board of Dentistry and Emergency Services Regulatory Board appropriations, and a dentistry language cleanup. They also adopted provisions on ICF and group home capacity changes in Senate Article 8 after reconsidering and amending the earlier action to make part of the capacity increase temporary, and they adopted the opioid cabinet/advisory council codification amendment. The committee also approved a number of other items: changes to the elderly waiver rate floor proposal were set aside temporarily because of an effective-date question; child protection language making parental contribution orders permissive rather than mandatory was adopted; income eligibility and work requirement changes were adopted with a special effective date; and a homeless-youth facility repair grant amendment was set aside for later review. In DHS licensing, the committee adopted changes to special family child care home requirements and a pilot project for modernizing child care regulations, including a February 1, 2024 end date for the pilot. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on a disputed amendment to include family child care providers in the frontline worker payment program. Supporters argued the providers should be treated equitably and included in the same funding pool, while opponents said the mechanism raised operational and funding concerns and needed more review from DHS and the Department of Labor and Industry. The sponsor withdrew the amendment for further work. The committee also adopted a clarification to include developmental disabilities in custody/parenting-time considerations, and it approved several “hashtag” items from the spreadsheet, including children’s mental health respite care language, a housing support/spend-down technical fix, a budget activity correction, a mental health grant carryforward, and continued funding for an Anoka County service provider. A tribal medical cannabis amendment was discussed at length but not adopted because the Senate side said it needed more review and had not heard the issue in committee.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House took up the conference committee report on House File 3872, the higher education bill. Representative Bernardi, the bill’s author, said the agreement would support workforce needs and affordability through investments such as CNA and allied tech scholarships, increases to the State Grant Program, grants for underrepresented teachers, Inclusive Higher Education Grants for students with intellectual disabilities, funding for tribal colleges, and the Minnesota Student Support Initiative for parenting students. Supporters said the bill would reduce barriers to higher education, expand access, and help students and the state’s economy. Several members spoke in favor and against the report. Supporters, including Representatives Keeler and Clivorn, emphasized equity, tribal colleges, workforce development, and the need to keep higher education accessible. Opponents, including Representatives West, Garofalo, Koznik, Albright, and New Brindley, argued the bill was unnecessary because the state budget was already funded, criticized the size of the spending increase, and said the bill did not adequately address tuition costs or prioritize taxpayers. Representative Koznik asked about tuition freeze efforts, and Bernardi replied that the bill did not freeze tuition at the University of Minnesota or MNSCU, but did make tuition free for students at two-year colleges and technical schools. After discussion ended, the House adopted the conference committee report and ordered the bill re-passed as amended by conference. The clerk then gave House File 3872 its third reading as amended. Later remarks continued the debate, with Representative O’Driscoll arguing for more support for trades training and repurposing existing space to address workforce shortages in central Minnesota.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House took up the conference committee report on House File 3872, a higher education bill, and Representative Bernardi moved adoption of the report and repassage of the bill as amended. Bernardi described the agreement as a student-centered higher education budget that includes investments in CNA and allied health workforce scholarships, increases to the state grant program for about 65,000 students, support for underrepresented teachers, inclusive higher education grants for students with intellectual disabilities, funding for tribal colleges, and the Minnesota Student Support Initiative for parenting college students. Supporters said the bill reduces barriers to education and expands access and equity, while also helping workforce needs. Representative Keeler also supported the report, emphasizing bipartisan compromise, tribal colleges, workforce development, greater Minnesota investments, and access for students with intellectual disabilities. Representative Clevorn thanked Bernardi for listening to student voices and building consensus. After discussion, the motion to adopt the conference committee report prevailed, and the clerk was directed to give the bill its third reading as amended by conference. Several members opposed the bill, arguing it was unnecessary spending on top of an already funded budget and that it did not adequately address tuition costs. Representatives West, Garofalo, Koznik, Albright, Neu Brindley, and O'Driscoll criticized the bill as wasteful or misprioritized, objecting to spending on items they said did not belong in a higher education bill and saying the state should focus on tax relief or restraint. Bernardi responded to a question from Koznik that the bill did not include a tuition freeze for the University of Minnesota or Minnesota State, but did make tuition free for students attending two-year colleges and technical schools. The final action recorded in the transcript was adoption of the conference report and advancement of the bill.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House leadership described the final days of session as focused on closing out budget negotiations under a framework agreement that would total about $4 billion in spending, $4 billion in taxes, and $4 billion on the bottom line. The main areas still being negotiated were E-12 education, health and human services, public safety, transportation, state government, agriculture, broadband, and bonding. Leadership said tax negotiations were nearly complete, while health and human services had finished its policy portion and still needed drafting, and public safety, E-12, and transportation were among the toughest remaining areas. Several specific sticking points were identified. In taxes, the remaining issue was a small amount of one-time money and how to allocate it across biennia; leadership said the House priority was a renter’s credit and the Senate priority was a rate cut, and both had to be included. Transportation was blocked by the Senate’s insistence on dedicating auto parts sales tax revenue, which House leaders said was not part of the deal. In E-12, the main dispute was over how to distribute funds, with the House emphasizing mental health supports and the Senate focusing on special education cross-subsidy relief. Public safety negotiations were described as needing a balance between crime prevention and investigative resources. Leadership said there were “blockers” in any bill not yet finished, including slow or incomplete offers and leadership-level disputes, but no major internal caucus problems were known. They said there was still enough time to finish before the Sunday midnight deadline and that the House would not send the tax bill until everything else was done. On bonding, leaders said work was progressing and that projects had already been heard in hearings, though final sorting would be difficult. Asked about legalized sports betting, leadership said no path was likely because the Senate’s attempt to include racetracks had complicated the issue and they did not want racetracks included in gaming expansion.