Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The conference committee met on May 17 to adopt several negotiated articles and amendments for the Jobs and Labor, Commerce and Energy bill package. Members first reviewed Article 1, covering Labor and Industry policy and technical changes, including window cleaning safety rules, building permit fee schedule changes, elevator code revisions, an exemption from electrical inspections for certain load control work on non-public electric utilities through 2030, removal of a Bureau of Mediation Services grant line, and effective-date clarifications for workers’ compensation advisory council language. The committee then adopted Article 2 on economic development policy, which included DEED reporting requirements, job-training grant priorities for high-wage/high-demand careers, community energy transition grants, contamination cleanup eligibility for federally recognized tribes, changes to pay-for-performance and qualified job training provisions, a clarification that certain federal loan funds are not subject to business subsidy requirements, expansion of the Partners and Pathways program, a dislocated worker technical fix, and a Senate provision requiring grant recipients that fail reporting requirements to be ineligible for the next grant cycle. Both articles were adopted by voice vote in the House and Senate. Members also adopted a House HOA notice provision and a clarifying amendment stating that notice of a fine does not remove a homeowner’s obligation to comply with HOA rules. In the energy portion, the committee adopted language raising the threshold for Public Utilities Commission approval of utility projects from $100,000 to $1 million, added tribal schools to the solar schools program, approved community transition grants for host cities of major utilities, and made date adjustments for cold weather rule reporting and telecommunications reports to the Department of Commerce. Another adopted provision created a tribal advocacy council in permissive rather than mandatory language. Each of these motions passed on both the House and Senate sides. Before adjournment, the committee heard testimony from Commissioner Robertson and House Research about the Front-Line Worker pay program. The commissioner explained that the agency was concerned in-home licensed daycare providers would not be covered because the program was designed for workers in a traditional employment relationship with an employer, and the bill requires employer-based verification. She also outlined fraud-prevention steps, including knowledge-based authentication, document and photo verification, data checks with the Department of Revenue and DEED, self-certification, employer contact authorization, bank-account validation, and staff review of applicant-employer relationships. The committee did not take a separate vote on this testimony, but it did authorize nonpartisan staff to make any technical changes needed to reflect the committee’s intent.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Senate Taxes Committee met on May 17, 2022, as a conference committee on House File 3669 to work through “same and similar” provisions in the tax bill. Staff explained a list of no-cost identical items and similar items agreed to by House and Senate nonpartisan staff. The identical provisions included interest-rate language for delinquent property taxes and repurchase balances, aid penalty forgiveness for the cities of Echo and Morton, the public finance article, and the Department of Revenue policy and technical articles. The committee also discussed two similar no-cost items: the City of Virginia net debt exemption, for which staff recommended adopting the House language, and the disabled veterans exclusion application, for which staff recommended adopting the Senate language. The committee then voted to adopt the no-cost identical items under paragraph A and separately approved the two paragraph B recommendations, one House provision and one Senate provision. After that, members turned to the TIF article, which staff said had been worked out by Chair Yuakim, Senator Weber, Senator Rest, and Representative Herr. Staff described sections covering State Auditor technical changes, special legislation for Hopkins, Savage, Fridley, Plymouth, Shakopee, and Woodbury, noting several adjustments such as caps on increment use, changes to housing-related uses, and pooling or five-year rule provisions. The committee adopted the TIF article by motion as well. The meeting ended with members thanking staff and conferees for the quick turnaround on the agreements. The chair said the committee would continue working on remaining differences and announced that the conference committee would meet again the next morning at 9:30 a.m.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 4850, a bill to reform the LCCMR, after the Rules Committee waived Joint Rule 2.03. Representative Hanson moved the bill and then offered the A2 amendment, which was adopted. The amendment delayed implementation of the LCCMR changes until January 1, 2025. Hanson explained that the bill would restructure the commission to have eight legislative members, with two from each party in each house, and eight citizen members appointed by congressional district plus one tribal member. The bill also bars citizen members from being registered lobbyists, clarifies that the citizen selection committee serves two-year terms, and adds requirements for capital project proposals so they are vetted more like bonding projects. A fiscal note related to per diem changes was noted as part of the bill’s fiscal impact. Representative Petersburg questioned why the bill shifted away from a legislative majority and toward a structure with more gubernatorial influence, arguing it reduced legislative authority and could make the commission more partisan. Hanson responded that the current structure had encouraged partisanship, that equal partisan representation in each house would provide balance, and that gubernatorial appointments with staggered terms would better reflect election results while preserving continuity. He also said the congressional-district structure would improve regional balance and the tribal seat would ensure First Nations representation. After brief additional comments, including opposition from some members, the committee voted on whether to recommend the amended bill to the General Register. The motion passed 16-11, and House File 4850 as amended was sent to the floor.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House convened with a prayer led by Mustafa Hamidah, imam of the Eastern Twin Cities Islamic Center in Afton, Minnesota, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call establishing a quorum. The journal from the previous day was read and approved as corrected, and comparison reports were adopted without objection. The chamber then moved to second reading of Senate Files 3107 and 4108 and the first reading of House File 4886. No bill content or debate was presented in the transcript excerpt. After the introduction of the bill, Majority Leader Winkler announced that House DFL members would caucus, and Republican members also indicated they would caucus. Representative Winkler moved a recess to the call of the chair, and the motion passed by voice vote. The House then recessed.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 2665, a courts-related bill, was taken up on third reading. Representative Hollins explained that the measure would allow emancipated youth who are being stalked or harassed, including by adults pursuing them for sex or exploitation, to petition for a harassment restraining order. The bill requires the court to find the order is in the youth’s best interest and that the minor is actually emancipated, and it also codifies the definition of emancipation. Hollins described the bill as small but potentially life-changing and thanked Representative Novotny for helping refine the emancipation language, as well as Ron Elwood and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid for their support and work on the bill. No amendments were offered, and there was no further discussion after the author’s remarks. The House then took a roll call vote. The bill received 132 ayes and 0 nays and passed.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: A joint hearing of the Judiciary and Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee was called to order to receive Commissioner Rebecca Lucero’s presentation of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ findings from its still-open pattern-or-practice investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department. The chairs emphasized that the matter remained under active negotiation toward a consent decree, so the hearing was intended to be a listening session rather than a Q&A. Rep. Scott expressed frustration that city representatives were not present to answer questions, while the chair noted the city had been invited and that legislators would have another opportunity to ask questions once the final order and report are complete. Commissioner Lucero explained that MDHR launched the investigation in June 2020 after George Floyd’s murder, using a decade of data, ride-alongs, body-camera review, training observations, documents, community interviews, and expert consultation. She said the department found that MPD and the city engaged in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The findings identified three main causes: flawed paramilitary-style training, deficient accountability systems, and leadership that failed to act with urgency and coordination. The discriminatory patterns described included greater use of force against Black people, especially neck restraints and chemical irritants; racial disparities in traffic stops and post-stop treatment; covert social media surveillance and false engagement targeting Black leaders, organizations, and officials; and racist, misogynistic, and disrespectful language by some officers and supervisors. Lucero also highlighted examples showing how supervisors and discipline systems reinforced the culture, including approval of serious force in a case involving an unarmed Black 14-year-old, failures to consistently investigate misconduct, missed coaching opportunities, and arbitration outcomes affected by city and MPD decisions. She said MPD trainings continued to emphasize unquestioned compliance and had reduced cultural competency content, while leaders sometimes provided misleading public information that undermined trust. The presentation concluded that without fundamental organizational culture change, reforms to policies, procedures, and trainings would not be meaningful, and that the department’s next step is to negotiate a consent decree with the city.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary and Public Safety Conference Committee met on May 17, 2022, to hear budget testimony on Senate File 2673. Jeff Shorba, Minnesota State Court Administrator, presented the judicial branch’s supplemental budget request, focusing on a 6% compensation increase for judges and court staff in fiscal year 2023 and a $1.75 million annual cybersecurity request. He said the branch’s pay structure is about 5% to 7% below market, contributing to recruitment and retention problems, and noted that court salaries are lagging comparable public-sector employers. He also described the cybersecurity request as necessary to protect electronic court operations and sensitive data from breaches, outages, and cyberattacks. Representative Becker-Finn emphasized the importance of supporting the courts as part of a broader justice system and asked for clarification on starting clerk pay and judge salaries to illustrate the scale of the request. The committee then heard from Kevin Kair, chief administrator for the Board of Public Defense, and State Public Defender Bill Ward. They reviewed their collective bargaining agreements with Teamsters Local 320, which include cost-of-living adjustments and step increases, and explained that additional funding would reopen contracts to negotiate second-year salary increases. They said the public defense budget is overwhelmingly personnel-based and that the board cannot reduce caseloads by leaving positions unfilled, which has contributed to a projected $2.9 million deficit. Kair compared public defender pay with county attorneys, saying entry-level public defenders were paid $65,800 in 2020 versus about $70,400 for county attorneys in the districts they serve, with the gap widening over time because public defenders take longer to reach top salary levels. Ward and Kair also discussed recruitment and retention challenges, especially in greater Minnesota, where some openings receive few or no applications. They said the office had about 50 attorney vacancies during the hiring freeze period and has had to recruit broadly, including from law schools outside Minnesota. Ward reported that the office continued handling trials through most of the COVID-19 period, that the backlog began at about 13,000 cases, and that remote hearings have been useful for non-contested matters by reducing missed appearances and burdens on clients. Becker-Finn stressed that public defense is constitutionally required and said the $50 million annual figure discussed in prior budget work was the amount identified as necessary to fully fund public defenders and meet national caseload standards. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House-Senate Conference Committee on Taxes continued reviewing the remaining portions of the tax bill, focusing first on TIF-related local provisions in Article 6. Staff described House and Senate differences for Hopkins, Savage, Shakopee, Fridley, Plymouth, and Woodbury, including changes to pooling percentages, five-year rules, district duration, reporting requirements, and special district authorizations. Several provisions were noted as having no comparable language in the other chamber’s bill, while others were described as substantially similar with only drafting differences. No votes were taken during this portion of the meeting. The committee then turned to local sales tax provisions in Article 7. Staff walked through a long list of city and county authorizations and extensions, including Rochester, Marshall, Moorhead, Oakdale, White Bear Park, Bloomington, Blackduck, East Grand Forks, Golden Valley, Henderson, Lake of the Woods County, Park Rapids, Proctor, Rice County, Roseville, Winona County, and Woodbury. Differences between the chambers included added projects, longer tax durations, lump-sum versus itemized bonding authority, and a Senate-only provision allowing certain jurisdictions to increase previously authorized project amounts by up to $3 million, with updated resolutions required and filed with the state auditor. Senators and representatives discussed the purpose of that provision as pandemic- and supply-chain-related relief for rising construction costs. Members also debated ballot language and transparency for local option sales taxes, including whether projects should be listed individually or as a single question. The Senate explained that itemized ballot questions could become too restrictive when costs change, while House members emphasized voter clarity and the need for updated resolutions. Nonpartisan staff clarified the House’s 2021 definition of a capital project as a single building or structure with necessary access infrastructure, a single park or named recreation area improvement, or a contiguous trail, excluding roads and sewer/water projects. The committee also discussed concerns about a Senate-only Woodbury lodging tax carve-out and broader caution about redirecting lodging tax revenues away from marketing. The meeting ended with acknowledgment that further work would continue in a subcommittee/working group, but no final action or vote was recorded in the excerpt.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House first took up concurrence on House File 2353, a data practices bill combining two measures authored by Rep. Feist: permanent private classification for education support services data and the Student Data Privacy Act. Feist explained the bill would standardize protections for student data, require stronger school-tech contracts, limit school surveillance on devices with safety exceptions, and restrict commercial use of student data. Reps. Scott and Lucero spoke in support, emphasizing parental control and student privacy. The House concurred in the Senate amendments and repassed the bill 134-0. The House then concurred in Senate amendments to House File 3285, a local government bill concerning land auctions. Rep. Sandstede said the Senate changes were only sentence-structure edits with no substantive change, while Rep. Nash opposed the bill, arguing that internet-based notice could disadvantage potential local buyers without internet access. The House concurred and repassed the bill 80-54. On the calendar, the House passed Senate File 1391, which exempts enrolled agents and their firms from debt settlement services statutes; House File 2354, which creates an administrative process for enforcing Canadian money judgments in Minnesota after a small effective-date amendment; House File 2665, which gives emancipated youth a statutory right to seek harassment restraining orders; Senate File 3850, which clarifies indemnity agreement language for design professionals; House File 1829, which bars insurance discrimination against living organ donors; and Senate File 2922, which allows debt collection employees to work from home permanently and requires multilingual consumer disclosures. Most of these bills passed with broad support, though HF 1829 passed 126-8 and SF 2922 passed 120-5 after questions about remote work, caller ID, website posting, and language access. The House also adopted a resolution recognizing May 11-17, 2022 as Police Week and May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, honoring fallen officers and directing enrollment of the resolution to the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association. A moment of silence was requested for five officers recently added to the memorial wall.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 4649, a proposal to reauthorize the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and place the question before voters. Representative Hollins moved the A2 amendment, which would raise the annual appropriation from the fund from 5.5% to 7% of market value, with staff explaining the change would not affect the immediate biennium but would increase future annual allocations. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote. Members then discussed the broader bill, which would reauthorize the trust fund, create a separate housing fund from the other half of lottery proceeds, and establish a housing council to advise the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. Supporters said the trust fund has long funded conservation, water quality, parks, trails, and other projects, and argued the changes would help address current environmental and housing needs. They also noted the trust fund has historically been popular with voters and that the proposal was moving in the Senate. Several members raised concerns that the amendment and bill used broad terms such as environmental justice, environmental crisis, and sustainable housing without defining them in the ballot language, arguing voters should be told more directly what they are approving. Others questioned whether the housing provisions could increase housing costs or should instead address regulation and code issues. Representative Hollins responded that the existing process would still vet projects through the LCCMR and that the housing council would prioritize deeply affordable housing. The exchange ended with no final vote on the bill itself in the excerpt, after the amendment had been adopted and the bill was laid over for further discussion.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The meeting was a Minnesota health and human services conference committee discussion focused on negotiating a final omnibus bill and reconciling House and Senate offers under tight time pressure. Senators and representatives debated whether to continue taking public testimony or move directly to written offers and adoption of agreed-upon policy items. The House side argued that the Senate’s original proposal was too narrow and did not address urgent needs such as child care, homelessness, mental health, deep poverty, public health preparedness, and workforce rebuilding, while the Senate side emphasized that the House offer needed to better fit the agreed funding target and that the committee should keep the process public and transparent. Staff then walked through the Senate’s first offer and the changes from the House position, noting areas of agreement and revised language on items including the American Indian Child Welfare Initiative for the Mille Lacs Band, the child care ombuds person, the residential settings closure prevention grant, MAEPD premium reduction tracking, employment exploration service-based wage index, future PACE implementation, the elderly waiver rate framework, Safe Harbor grants, MA coverage for children’s hospice respite, PCA-related provisions, cesarean detection coverage, children’s residential crisis standards, and the palliative care advisory council. The Senate also dropped some proposals, including an interaction between the general fund and the health care access fund and an increase to the MDMV earned income disregard. Public testimony focused heavily on non-emergency medical transportation. A provider testified that the Senate’s proposed rate increase was a needed 17% adjustment after a decade without increases, while the House’s smaller increase would not cover rising payroll, fuel, insurance, and vehicle costs; the witness warned that providers could stop fee-for-service operations if the Senate level was not adopted. Members asked what would happen if funding were cut, and the witness said vulnerable riders, especially wheelchair users and low-income residents, would be hit first and could lose access to rides for medical appointments. Committee members also referenced nursing facility concerns and the need to ensure any bill actually works in practice, not just on paper.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House File 3872 Conference Committee met on May 17, 2022, to continue discussion of the House and Senate versions of the bill after earlier review and public testimony. Members used the meeting to state their priorities rather than take final action. The chair outlined a process of hearing from House members first, then Senate members, followed by general discussion before adjournment. Across both chambers, members emphasized student supports, affordability, and equity in higher education. Repeated priorities included a free or reduced-cost college proposal, lowering student grant responsibility, support for Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota, and investments in mental health, food security, and health and safety for students. Several members also highlighted the teachers of color scholarship program and broader efforts to make college more inclusive for students with intellectual disabilities. A major theme was support for tribal colleges and American Indian students. Representative Keeler and others urged operating support for tribal schools, noting long-standing underinvestment and the importance of representation in education. Members also discussed workforce development scholarships, including programs tied to law enforcement, construction, and skilled trades, as well as a Learn to Earn pilot in Owatonna. No votes were taken during this portion of the conference committee. Another significant topic was the University of Minnesota’s decision to cut athletics programs, especially gymnastics and other sports. Several members criticized the Board of Regents for not listening to students, staff, and faculty, and some supported tying funding to a commission or other accountability measures. The committee ended with continued discussion and no final disposition of the bill in this segment.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate first handled motions to dispense with further roll-call proceedings, excuse members for conference committees on Senate Files 4062 and 4410, and receive committee reports. Committee reports included House File 3346, a state government reports bill, and Senate File 3541, a retirement bill; both were reported to Rules and Administration, with SF 3541 requiring no further action. Senator Miller then designated five bills as special orders for immediate consideration. The main floor debate centered on House File 3438, the annual Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Legacy bill. Senator Rood explained the bill’s funding allocations among the legacy funds and described the A-50 amendment as the House-Senate agreement, including a date change for Clean Water Council recommendations and COVID-related extensions. Senator McEwen offered an A4 amendment to add Clean Water Fund appropriations for microplastics and other clean water priorities, but Senator Rood opposed it on process grounds because the Clean Water Council had made no recommendations. The A4 amendment was defeated 12-51, and HF 3438 then passed 55-9. The Senate also passed Senate File 1257, which streamlines background checks for licensed medical professionals by allowing one fingerprint check to satisfy multiple licensing-related requirements and extending an emergency background-check waiver deadline from July 2 to September 1, 2022; the A12 amendment was adopted and the bill passed 64-0. Senate File 3338, authorizing hybrid life and long-term care insurance policies with commissioner approval and other safeguards, passed 65-0. House File 3379, removing the 12-year limit on National Guard reenlistment and commissioning bonuses, passed 62-0. House File 3805, extending the sunset of the Capital Area Security Advisory Committee for 14 years, also passed 65-0. During announcements, members noted a Minnesota Building Trades reception, recognized Syttende Mai and the history of the 99th Battalion, and observed Law Enforcement Memorial Week. The Senate then adopted a motion to recess to the call of the President, with notice that it might return later to pass additional bills.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Environment and Natural Resources Conference Committee met remotely on May 17, 2022, to review a policy-only agreement between the House and Senate. Staff outlined a package of agreed provisions covering a statewide AIS plan, per diem increases, petroleum tank release cleanup deadlines, land transactions, vehicle transfers for off-highway vehicles and snowmobiles, snowmobile crossing rules, WMA and ground blind provisions, deer and elk crop-damage control, and DNR registration system RFP scoring. For items with differences, the agreement generally adopted Senate language on the walk-in access program, West Newton special use district, nonconforming structures, and county lease/tax-forfeited land changes, while also adding a new Crow Wing County land provision proposed by DNR. The committee also agreed to drop several items, including a Senate nuisance bear relocation provision, House changes to East Metro private well testing and PCA commissioner definitions, and a Lake County land provision. Members briefly clarified a numbering issue in the written agreement regarding the dropped section before proceeding. The agreement was adopted by roll call with three votes on each side; Senator Eakin was excused. After adoption, the committee recessed, with the chair noting that additional agreements might come later once funding parameters were available. Members said they would provide at least a half-hour notice before reconvening.

Keywords: 1183, house