Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee met remotely on April 5, 2022, took attendance, and established a quorum. The committee approved the April 1 minutes after a minor grammar correction was noted. Members were then told that no action would be taken that day on the DE amendment to House File 4492, the omnibus environment and natural resources bill, and that amendments were due electronically by 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, with public testimony, markup, and a vote scheduled for Thursday, April 7. Staff walked through the DE-4 amendment in detail, comparing it to the governor’s recommendations and explaining major funding and policy items. The presentation highlighted Pollution Control Agency changes such as adaptation grants and water storage, brownfield grants, waste prevention and recycling grants, environmental justice funding tied to House File 3146, air monitoring and PFAS-related provisions, and several House-originated items including Pig’s Eye landfill work, feedlot assistance, composting grants, and the Get the Lead Out program. It also covered Department of Natural Resources changes, including climate adaptation for natural lands and waters, aggregate mapping, drought-related provisions previously passed by the House, Swan Protection Act language, water use meeting requirements, and various wildlife, habitat, and recreation appropriations. The walkthrough continued with Board of Water and Soil Resources, Metropolitan Council, tourism, University of Minnesota, and other agency provisions, including conservation programs, tree planting, drainage registry work, and lottery-in-lieu changes. Staff also reviewed statutory language sections carried over from prior bills, such as treated seed regulation, pollinator pesticide restrictions, the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Office, watercraft operator permits, environmental justice definitions, zero-waste and brownfield administration, PFAS and 3M reporting changes, and feedlot and water-related enforcement provisions. The DE-4 was described as providing about $240 million in general fund changes in FY23, with additional tail biennium costs, but no votes were taken at this meeting.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 4177, Chair Eklund’s omnibus labor and industry finance and policy bill, and moved the DE1 amendment (DE182-0402) with a recommendation that the bill be referred to Ways and Means. Nonpartisan fiscal staff first walked members through the spreadsheet, explaining the bill’s funding changes across agencies. Major appropriations included $400,000 for the Public Employee Relations Board, funding for combat sports safety, agricultural and food processing worker labor standards, youth skills training grants, logger safety grants, and a construction codes fund transfer tied to the building and trade license fee holiday. Additional non-general fund items included commercial energy code improvements, safe housing provisions, apprenticeship equity, and prevailing wage education and compliance. Staff summarized the bill’s fiscal impact as $5.85 million in general fund expenditures, $9.6 million in total expenditures, $311,000 in total revenue changes, and a net general fund impact of $5.834 million. House Research then reviewed the policy sections of the DE1 amendment. The amendment reorganizes apprenticeship functions into a separate Division of Apprenticeship, addresses restrictive franchise agreements, modifies LEAP grants, bans most non-compete agreements, and continues the two-year contractor licensing fee holiday. It also includes building and code provisions such as assisted living facilities under the state building code, adoption of a model commercial energy code, window-cleaning safety requirements, reduced building permit fee schedules, and an exemption for certain utility-owned load control equipment. Other articles conform OSHA penalties to federal law, expand fair labor standards for agricultural and food processing workers, make technical changes to combat sports licensing, adjust PERB effective dates and related data treatment, and add refinery safety requirements tied to apprenticeship experience. No substantive member debate or vote was shown in the excerpt beyond the motion to move the amendment and refer the bill to Ways and Means, and the chair invited questions after the staff presentations.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House Fiscal staff John Walls walked the committee through the DE amendment, saying it largely mirrored the governor’s budget request for the judicial branch. He reviewed funding for the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, district courts, guardian ad litem board, Board of Public Defense, and the Human Rights Commission, including ongoing increases for core operations, civil legal services, interpreter pay, psychological services, salary equity, cybersecurity, remote hearing access, and several Human Rights Commission initiatives. He also noted additional member-requested items, including creation of the State Board of Appellate Counsel for Parents, elimination of fees for uncertified court copies, and a fee diversion to support the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership. Walls said the bill met the committee’s targets at $140 million in increased spending for the current biennium and $300 million ongoing. Committee members briefly discussed the comparison to prior-year funding, with Representative Scott asking for dollar and percentage increases over the previous biennium. Walls said he had last year’s numbers available and could provide percentage comparisons later. The chair noted that the governor’s request reflected the court’s own request, given the judiciary is a separate branch of government. Ben Johnson of House Research then summarized Article 2, explaining that Article 1 contained the appropriations already reviewed. He said Article 2 has four sections: it establishes the State Board of Appellate Counsel for Parents to provide statewide independent appellate counsel for indigent parents in juvenile protection appeals; it amends House File 3322 to increase by $15 the filing-fee and marriage-license-fee portions dedicated to the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership without changing the total fee paid by individuals; and it eliminates the judicial branch fee for uncertified copies of civil or criminal documents, including those provided through an online portal. No votes or formal actions were taken in the excerpt.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee convened on Tuesday, April 9 with a quorum present and took up Senate File 3975 as amended. Senator Kiffmeyer presented the A16 amendment, which combined several provisions, including a state fossil designation, fiscal note/public data language, consumer fuel and rulemaking provisions, a standard-time fallback beginning in 2030 if Congress does not allow year-round daylight saving time, transportation third-party testing language, and elections-related changes such as drop box rules, ballot security markings, and sample ballot mailing provisions. The A16 amendment was adopted on a voice vote. Members then offered a series of amendments that were mostly rejected. Senator Carlson’s A17 amendment would have deleted numerous elections-related sections, including live-streaming requirements, drop box provisions, ballot security markings, and voter registration data changes; supporters said the provisions lacked stakeholder support and were not ready, while opponents said they were important transparency measures. The committee took a roll call and the A17 amendment failed 3-4. Senator Clausen’s A9 amendment, aimed at nonprofit-related provisions, would have removed limits on nonprofit CEO pay, board membership restrictions, and a legislative-notification requirement tied to complaints; it also failed 3-4 after debate over nonprofit governance and oversight. The committee also rejected an oral amendment by Senator Clausen to restore current law for a Mississippi River Parkway Commission appointment, keeping the appointment with the State Historic Preservation Office rather than the Historical Society. That amendment failed 3-4. Later, the committee considered funding amendments: the A10 amendment sought cybersecurity funding, the A11 amendment sought money for MMB technical upgrades, and the A12 amendment sought resources for Greater Minnesota prosecutorial staffing through the Attorney General’s office. In each case, supporters argued the spending would improve security, services, or public safety, while opponents said the committee lacked the budget authority or that the items belonged in other committees; all three amendments failed on 3-4 roll-call votes. Finally, the committee began considering another oral amendment from Senator Clausen to delete Article 2, Section 2, concerning legal services and constraints on the Attorney General’s use of staff. Debate focused on whether the bill should limit outside funding or outside counsel in the Attorney General’s office, with supporters warning about undue influence and opponents citing separation-of-powers concerns and the need for outside expertise. The transcript cuts off during that discussion, before a final vote is shown.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate was called to order, a quorum was established, and the chamber heard a prayer from Senate chaplain Pastor Mike Smith, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The prayer focused on Psalm 46 and asked for wisdom, calmness, and blessing for senators, staff, and others connected to state government. In the business portion, the Senate received a House message noting passage of Senate File 2736, relating to juvenile court guardianship for at-risk youth, with no action required. Committee reports printed in the agenda were adopted except those pertaining to Joint Rule 2.03. The Senate also gave second reading to Senate Files 4062 and 4019 and House Files 3216-3217, 3545, and 406, and referred Senate Resolutions 121 and 122 to the Committee on Rules and Administration. Other communications and first readings were handled without debate. During announcements, senators briefly discussed non-legislative items, including congratulations to Kansas University for its men’s basketball championship and a postponed civility caucus lunch. Senator Miller then moved to recess to the call of the President, with 30 minutes’ advance notice for the Senate to return later to process committee reports. The motion prevailed and the Senate recessed.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Education Finance Committee met on April 5, 2022, to continue reviewing the DE amendment to House File 4300, hear public testimony, and ask questions about the bill. The committee first approved the April 4 minutes by oral vote, then received a staff walkthrough of Articles 10 through 12. Article 10 would increase adult basic education funding by $1 million per year, change the ABE formula growth provisions, raise the contact hour cost from $22 to $28, and fully fund one battery of high school equivalency tests. Article 11 would allow Minnesota State Academies to retain rental income, make previously discussed Permanent School Fund changes, and increase Department of Education and PELSB budgets for VPK/pre-K monitoring, special education category work, and faster licensing applications. Article 12 would reset forecast-driven appropriations to February forecast amounts. Commissioner Heather Mueller testified in support of the bill, praising its investments in literacy, early childhood education, wraparound services, special education, English learner services, mental health, and educator recruitment and retention. She said the proposal complements the Governor’s and House leadership’s policy goals and would help reduce long-standing underfunding. Public testimony was largely supportive of the bill’s funding priorities, especially the reductions to special education and English learner cross-subsidies, increased support for teachers of color, mental health, VPK, and adult basic education. Testifiers included representatives from Educators for Excellence Minnesota, the Association of Metropolitan School Districts, the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, the Minnesota Association of Independent Schools, Literacy Action Network, Allies, the Minnesota School Boards Association, and Saint Paul Public Schools. Supporters generally praised the bill’s structural funding changes, while some, including a Minneapolis parent advocate, said the proposal did not go far enough and urged full elimination of the special education and EL cross-subsidies. No final bill action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the chair indicated the committee would continue testimony and later move to markup on the following day, with Thursday reserved if additional time was needed.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met remotely and approved the minutes from March 31. Members then heard a series of informational presentations on bonding proposals related to fire, public safety, jail, and government facilities, with the chair noting the hearing was informational only. Testifiers and authors described projects intended to improve emergency response, public safety services, and regional training capacity, including a Nature Conservancy-backed water and soil resilience proposal (water storage, working lands easements, and floodplain working lands), a Dakota County jail renovation to create a 30-bed integrated health services unit for inmates with medical, mental health, and substance-use needs, and an Edina Community Health and Safety Center that would combine public health and fire services and support mutual aid and ECMO response work. The committee also heard about a Marshall/West Central Minnesota training expansion at the Merit Center for police, fire, and rescue training; a Rapids fire station replacement and regional training facility with firefighter health and safety features; and a Jackson County public safety center to replace an aging law enforcement/jail facility and add space for county services, dispatch, and emergency operations. Testimony emphasized aging facilities, regional service demands, mental health and substance-use treatment needs, and the goal of reducing local property tax burdens through state bonding support. Later presentations included Carlton County’s proposed justice center, which would replace a jail under a Department of Corrections sunset deadline and add courts, dispatch, probation, and a justice-involved women’s program; and a Lake of the Woods County law enforcement and government facilities project to improve accessibility, energy efficiency, safety, and space for mental health, veterans, elections, and emergency operations. No votes were taken on the individual bills during the hearing, and members generally did not ask questions beyond a brief inquiry about regional training fees for the Marshall project and the number of fire training sites in the state, which the testifier could not answer.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the March 31 and April 1 minutes. Chair Pinto then said the meeting would be relatively short and informational only, with several capital investment-related bills and a budget walkthrough to follow. He noted HF 2369 was being pulled from the agenda and that HF 466, the administration’s capital investment proposal, would be heard later. The first informational presentation was HF 4417, a capital request by Representative Schumacher to help establish a child care center in La Verne. Testifiers from the city said the community has faced a long-term shortage of child care, with providers and slots declining sharply over time, and that the private sector alone could not finance the project. They described a plan to repurpose a 30,000-square-foot building into a 168- to 186-seat center, with about $3.477 million in state funds requested for acquisition, renovation, furnishing, and equipment. Members asked about connections to other child care funding efforts, whether the project could be scaled down, staffing, and demand; the city said it was working with First Children’s Finance, believed demand was strong, and preferred to build the full project at once rather than phase it. The committee then heard HF 3692 from Representative Frederick, which would support expansion and renovation needs at seven children’s museums in Greater Minnesota. Frederick and museum leaders described the museums as important for experiential learning, family engagement, tourism, and community well-being. Cassandra Miles of Great River Children’s Museum said the coalition’s request was $32 million for buildings and exhibits, serving about 500,000 children and families annually and generating economic impact. Members, including Representative Wolgamott, voiced support. The committee also heard HF 4061 from Representative Bolden for the Children’s Museum of Rochester, which is seeking $4 million to expand its space at Apache Mall. Testimony said the museum has exceeded attendance projections, serves many low-income families and community partners, and needs more exhibit and outdoor space to meet demand. No votes were taken on the informational bills.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Housing Finance and Policy Committee met under House Rule 10.01, approved the March 31 minutes, and then took up the delete-all amendment to House File 4376, the omnibus housing finance and policy bill. Chair Houseman described the bill as the product of collaboration with housing advocates and said it makes historic investments to reduce the racial homeownership gap, preserve affordable housing, increase supply, support renters, and assist people experiencing homelessness. Fiscal analyst Joe Harney walked members through the spreadsheet, outlining major appropriations including increases for the Housing Challenge Program, Housing Trust Fund and rental assistance, Homework Starts with Home, Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance, local housing trust fund grants, supportive housing, flexible financing of capital costs, the Community Stabilization Program, Lead Safe Homes, Department of Human Rights funding, and several one-time grants for mediation, homeownership education, first-generation homebuyers, and manufactured home lending grants. He noted an A5 author’s amendment would make two adjustments and flagged a technical correction to be made later. No member questions were raised after the fiscal walkthrough. House Research then reviewed the bill language. Article 2 would expand Homework Starts with Home eligibility to families with minor children, create Lead Safe Homes grants, broaden housing infrastructure bond uses and authorize up to $400 million in HIBs, create programs to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing and strengthen supportive housing, expand affordability covenant exceptions, establish a landlord-tenant mediation grant program, create a first-generation homebuyer pilot, authorize grants to help manufactured home park residents buy their parks, and create matching grants for local housing trust funds. Article 3, the MHFA technical and policy article, made numerous technical corrections and policy changes, including allowing rehabilitation loans to finance detached accessory dwelling units, permitting funding for tribes and tribally designated housing entities, adjusting debt-ceiling and refunding bond provisions, revising senior housing definitions, expanding HIB uses, and broadening workforce housing and homeownership development eligibility to counties, tribal reservations, and tribes. Article 4 would add source-of-income discrimination protections under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, change eviction expungement rules, prohibit certain ongoing landlord fees, alter tenancy-at-will notice rules, set winter heat standards, clarify landlord entry notice, require 14-day pre-eviction notice for nonpayment cases, keep eviction filings private until ordered by the court, and expand emergency repair remedies. Public testimony followed, with the first witnesses strongly supporting the bill’s funding levels and policy direction. Minnesota Housing’s Ryan Baumchog praised the historic funding, the inclusion of agency technical language, and landlord-tenant provisions such as source-of-income protections, expungement changes, and 14-day pre-eviction notice, while noting the first-generation homebuyer assistance program would need further discussion. Aeon’s Eric Anthony Johnson thanked the committee for its support for affordable housing and the Community Stabilization Fund. Minnesota Housing Partnership’s Anne Mavity endorsed the bill’s scale, especially the $400 million in housing infrastructure bonds, the Community Stabilization Fund, public-assistance anti-discrimination protections, and local housing trust fund matching grants, while continuing to advocate for universal rental assistance. Kathy Wetzel Mastel of the Homeownership Minnesota Coalition also praised the bill’s size and highlighted the need for a broader homeownership strategy to address the racial homeownership gap. No votes or final committee action were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard a walkthrough of the DE amendment to House File 1683, a broad transportation package built around a $225 million general fund target and matching state funding to the federal bipartisan infrastructure law. The author and House Fiscal staff described appropriations for MnDOT, the Metropolitan Council, and the Department of Public Safety, including IIJA match money for airports, Greater Minnesota transit, electric bus infrastructure, electric vehicle charging, and state road construction. The bill also includes support for Northern Lights Express passenger rail, freight rail improvements, small cities and townships, active transportation, Safe Routes to School, traffic safety initiatives, and trunk highway bonding for bridges and MnDOT facilities. Staff also explained that some items are one-time appropriations while others establish future base funding, and that the “tails” amounts set a base for future budgets rather than immediate spending authority. Members asked several clarifying questions about whether certain items were one-time or ongoing, including Northern Lights Express and soft body armor reimbursements. Staff confirmed that the Northern Lights Express appropriation is one-time for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, with no continuation in 2026 and beyond, and that the soft body armor item is also a base increase continuing into the tails. Questions also focused on how the state estimates and matches federal infrastructure funds; staff said MnDOT uses federal estimates from sources such as FFIS and federal transportation data, and that if estimates are off, the legislature can revisit the amounts in a future budget year. Mr. Burris then explained the DE1 amendment itself, noting that it reflects committee actions and includes both appropriations and policy provisions. He highlighted that Article 1 contains the appropriations, Article 2 authorizes about $149 million in trunk highway bonds, and Article 3 includes policy changes such as creating the Traffic Safety Advisory Council, authorizing data collection on race and ethnicity for driver’s license applications, allowing EV charging stations at rest areas, establishing a Highways for Habitat program, designating the North Star Bikeway, and revising Corridors of Commerce provisions. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided; the discussion was informational and preparatory.

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house