Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announced a revised supplemental budget proposal built around Minnesota’s $9.25 billion surplus. The plan includes direct payments of $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples to about 2.7 million households, along with $100 payments to pandemic frontline workers, replenishment of the unemployment insurance trust fund, and additional investments in education, transportation, health care, and child care. Walz and Flanagan said the proposal is intended to provide immediate relief to families while also reducing long-term costs. A major revision in the proposal is a two-and-a-half percent cost-of-living increase for state pension holders. Walz said the increase would not threaten pension solvency and argued that state retirees should receive an adjustment similar to Social Security as costs rise. He also emphasized the state’s strong fiscal position, including rainy day funds, low unemployment, and high labor participation, as reasons the state can afford the package. In remarks supporting the plan, Flanagan said the direct payments would help cover everyday expenses such as diapers, car repairs, rent, and housing costs. She and Walz framed the budget as a way to put money back into Minnesotans’ pockets while also supporting businesses and maintaining long-term economic stability.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Health Finance and Policy Committee met on March 18, 2022, approved the March 16 minutes, and then heard House File 4265, a technical bill to implement Minnesota’s opioid settlement. Representative Olson, Representative Baker, and Assistant Attorney General Evan Romanoff explained that the bill updates prior opioid-response law so Minnesota can receive and distribute settlement money from opioid manufacturers and distributors. The bill codifies a 75% local/25% state split, creates separate opioid fund accounts, releases settlement funds for use, fixes the claims bar, and extends the sunset date for certain opioid-related fees from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2031. Testimony from the Association of Minnesota Counties supported the bill and emphasized that all 87 counties and over 140 cities have joined the settlement, with approved uses and accountability measures being developed to guide spending on abatement and remediation. Members asked about the opioid response advisory council, city participation, and how the money would be used. Testifiers said the bill does not change the council’s membership, that essentially all relevant cities and counties have opted in, and that the settlement agreement includes a detailed nonexclusive list of approved uses focused on prevention, treatment, and other opioid abatement strategies. The committee also discussed the need to use the funds in evidence-based ways and to ensure local flexibility while maintaining reporting and compliance requirements. The committee then took up House File 3972, which Representative Richardson presented as a civil rights measure to extend anti-discrimination protections in organ transplantation to race and ethnicity, building on prior disability-related protections. She described racial disparities in transplant access, especially for Black patients, and argued that race-based adjustments in kidney evaluation and waitlist decisions delay treatment and contribute to worse outcomes. Members raised questions about possible effects of vaccination status and broader health-care disparities; Richardson responded that the bill addresses deeper systemic inequities in transplant access. The committee did not amend the bill and later voted to re-refer House File 4265 to the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee by a 19-0 roll call; House File 3972 was moved to the General Register for further floor action.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Property Tax Division heard and laid over House File 2929, which would raise the school building bond agricultural credit from 60% to 100% for agricultural land. Representative Marquart argued the bill would address a fairness issue for rural and farm landowners whose land bears a disproportionate share of school bond debt, especially as farmland values rise and student populations decline. Supporters said the existing credit has helped rural school bond referendums pass more often and noted the proposal would cost about $43.9 million in fiscal year 2024 and $58.3 million in 2025. No outside testifiers were present, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the division report. The committee also heard House File 3782, a bill on energy storage tax treatment. Representative Stevenson said the measure would remove a tax disincentive for utility-scale battery storage, which he described as important for grid reliability, affordability, and clean energy deployment. Connexus Energy CEO Greg Ritterbush testified in support, saying storage is still a new but valuable grid tool and that Connexus’s solar-plus-battery project has helped keep rates flat while maintaining reliability. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the division report. House File 2181, as amended by a technical A1 amendment changing an effective date, was heard next. Representative Anderson and Stearns County Assessor Jeff Johnson said the bill would clarify property tax treatment for parcels with multiple smaller solar facilities by classifying the land as commercial rather than agricultural in certain cases, closing what they described as an unintended loophole. County and assessing groups, the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association, and the Department of Revenue were described as supportive or not opposed, and staff explained the bill would not affect the solar equipment itself or impose a production tax on systems at or below one megawatt. The committee laid the bill over as amended. Finally, the division heard House File 4281, a technical cleanup bill for tax increment financing statutes. After adopting an A2 amendment to put the bill in the agreed-upon form, State Auditor Julie Blaha and TIF Director Jason Nord explained the bill would clarify administrative expenses, pay-as-you-go notes, pooling limits, the five-year and six-year rules, decertification timing, deficit calculations, and violation provisions, while making technical and grammatical corrections. Metro Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities testified in support, and the bill was laid over as amended for possible inclusion in the division report.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The program highlighted several Minnesota legislative proposals. Senator Steve Swedzinski discussed bills to provide free menstrual products in schools, require civics instruction for 11th- and 12th-graders, and require a personal finance course for graduation. He said the menstrual products bill addresses “period poverty” and school absenteeism, while the civics and finance bills are meant to prepare students for taxes, voting, and managing debt. He also noted that the civics requirement is currently only encouraged statewide, not mandatory, and that his personal finance proposal is aimed at helping students avoid costly mistakes later in life. The Senate also took action on several measures. By a vote of 42-24, it passed a bill to extend Minnesota’s health care premium security plan, or reinsurance, for five more years. Lawmakers also unanimously approved a bill directing the Legislative Auditor to review the Southwest Light Rail Transit project, amid rising costs, delays, and reported damage to nearby properties. In committee, the Senate Local Government Committee debated a bill that would preempt local rent control measures in Minneapolis and St. Paul, with supporters arguing rent control hurts housing investment and opponents warning it would override local voter-approved action and worsen displacement. Senator Bobby Joe Champion discussed the CROWN Act, which would add hair texture and cultural hairstyles to the Minnesota Human Rights Act as a protected aspect of race. He said the bill is intended to prevent discrimination in schools and workplaces against natural hairstyles such as braids and dreadlocks, and the House has already passed it 104-25. Champion also briefly described the African American Family Preservation Act, which seeks to reduce bias in child welfare decisions affecting Black families. The program closed with discussion of bipartisan support for legislation to divest Minnesota pension funds from Russia, framed as a response to the war in Ukraine.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Property Tax Division took up House File 3678, which would reduce the property tax liability for a Duluth airport facility tied to Cirrus Aircraft’s planned expansion. Before testimony, the division adopted the A1 amendment by voice vote; the amendment adds a 10-year sunset to the tax exemption. Representative Schultz said the bill is intended to help Cirrus expand in Duluth by cutting the property tax burden on the former aircraft maintenance hangar the company plans to use. City of Duluth official Chris Fleege testified in support, saying the proposal would create a transitional 50 percent net tax capacity rate for aviation businesses at airports in cities with populations between 50,000 and 150,000, affecting Duluth and potentially St. Cloud and Rochester. He said the change would not reduce levy amounts for local jurisdictions and would have only a small impact on other taxpayers, while helping support capital investment and job creation at the airport. Cirrus representative Bill King also supported the bill, arguing that airport businesses face unique lease and operating costs because they cannot own the land, and that the measure would help level the playing field and make the expansion more viable. During member questions, King said Cirrus produced about 600 airplanes last year in Duluth, expects production to increase, and anticipates at least 80 new full-time equivalent jobs from the expansion. He said the company plans to consolidate research and development into the new facility and continue growing in Duluth. One member raised concern about fairness and “picking winners and losers” with property taxes. After discussion, the chair laid House File 3678, as amended, over for possible inclusion in the division report.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 3402 was heard in committee, with Representative Edelson explaining that the bill would prohibit using recess as punishment for K-5 students. She said the current statute only encourages schools not to exclude students from recess, but that the practice still happens, including in her own family, and argued recess is important for students’ academic, social-emotional, and physical health. The chair noted the committee would vote later in the meeting, and the bill was ultimately moved to the Education Finance Committee rather than laid over for omnibus inclusion. Testimony strongly supported the bill. Simon Hofer, a 10-year-old fourth grader, described being kept inside during recess when he was younger and said it made him feel depressed and did not improve behavior. Dr. Gwen Rocha Anderson, an educator and administrator, said recess should not be used as punishment because students need unstructured time to decompress, build relationships, and learn behavior skills through restorative approaches. Julia Pringle and Jennifer Davis also supported the bill, emphasizing that children need breaks and play time and that recess is not an effective disciplinary tool. Roger Aronson, representing the Elementary and Secondary Principals Association, said the group had been discussing the bill with advocates for several weeks and would continue working with Representative Edelson on language that could meet everyone’s needs, including possible training money in the bill. During member discussion, Representative Erickson questioned what teachers should do instead and raised concerns about students with disabilities and behavior issues; Representative Edelson responded that punitive removal from recess does not help dysregulated children and that the issue is not always purely behavioral. Representative Mueller asked about teacher training and whether resources should focus there. After debate, Edelson renewed her motion to refer the bill to Education Finance, and the motion passed 12-6, with one absent vote.

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a quorum call, and approval of the previous day’s journal. Members then marked St. Patrick’s Day and Purim with brief personal privilege remarks, including comments about the opening of the retiring room and the availability of cookies and hamentashen. After that, the House moved through routine business: comparison reports and standing committee reports were adopted without objection, several House and Senate files were listed for second reading, and a large group of new House files was introduced for first reading. The main floor action centered on House File 3035, a transit bill concerning the Southwest light rail audit. The House concurred in Senate amendments that added more frequent reporting requirements for the Met Council on cost overruns and delays, including a seven-day trigger for reporting. The bill then passed its third reading and was repassed as amended by the Senate on a 132-1 vote. The House then took up Senate File 2876, a health and human services bill described as consensus language. Supporters said it temporarily reinstated a range of pandemic-era waivers and flexibilities for DHS, foster care, personal care assistance oversight, hospitals and nursing facilities, child care, and staffing shortages, including creation of a temporary staffing pool for congregate care settings. Representative Rasmussen offered an amendment to extend child care staffing waivers from three months to two years; supporters said the child care workforce crisis would last longer, while opponents said the bill was only meant to preserve short-term pandemic-related flexibility. The amendment failed on a 62-70 vote. Representative Quam then offered an amendment related to nursing licensure standards, but the Speaker ruled it out of order as introducing a new subject. Representative Doubt offered another amendment aimed at preventing vaccine mandates, but that too was ruled out of order after a point of order and an appeal of the ruling of the Speaker, with the Speaker’s ruling upheld.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Housing Finance and Policy Committee met under House Rule 10.01, took roll, and established a quorum. Members approved the minutes from March 15 by voice vote. The only agenda item was a presentation from Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho on Governor Walz’s 2022 housing supplemental budget proposal, with staff from Minnesota Housing also present. Commissioner Ho described the proposal as a large, comprehensive housing package aimed at the full continuum of needs, from homelessness and rental assistance to homeownership, production, preservation, and housing stability. She said the supplemental budget request totals $409.5 million in new investments over three years, or $719 million when including capital items such as a $250 million housing infrastructure bond proposal and $60 million for public housing rehabilitation. She emphasized that rising housing, lumber, and labor costs make this a critical moment for long-term structural investments. Ho highlighted several program increases and new initiatives, including expanded funding for the Economic Development Housing Challenge Program, workforce and affordable homeownership grants, Greater Minnesota workforce housing, flexible financing for capital cost overruns, and a new community stabilization program to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing and owner-occupied homes. She also outlined increased support for the Housing Trust Fund, Homework Starts with Home, the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program, a landlord risk mitigation fund, and permanent supportive housing. She cited estimated outcomes such as thousands of additional housing opportunities, preserved homes, and households served, but no committee vote or other action on the budget proposal was taken during this portion of the meeting.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up House File 3249, related to the Safe at Home program. Senator Westrom offered an A1 amendment to add third-party verification by the legislative auditor, arguing the program lacked sufficient checks and balances beyond occasional random review and Secretary of State staff work. Testifier Rick Wyel opposed the underlying bill as not fully thought out, but supported a broader audit and urged delaying action; Senator Bigum opposed the amendment, saying the bill was about protecting domestic abuse victims, police, prosecutors, judges, and others in high-risk situations, not voter registration. Senator Westrom ultimately withdrew the amendment, and after a brief explanation from the Secretary of State’s office about changes to real property records and notice procedures, the committee approved the bill and sent it on. The committee then discussed Senate File 3487, the organized retail theft bill, but noted a procedural error meant the committee report had not yet been adopted, so no official vote could be taken that day. The chair allowed discussion anyway. Counsel explained an A2 amendment would remove language classifying inactive criminal investigative data as confidential/protected nonpublic, instead leaving it to existing law under section 13.82 unless a victim requests privacy. The Minnesota Retailers Association and St. Paul Police Commander Charlie Anderson supported the amendment, saying it aligned with existing law and helped law enforcement and banks identify victims and investigate fraud. The bill itself was described as a response to rising organized retail crime. Finally, the committee began its structured settlement agenda with Senate File 3463, with a companion bill, Senate File 3636, to follow. The chair said both bills were being worked on together and would likely be laid over while stakeholders continued negotiating minor differences. Senator Utke described the bill as updating Minnesota’s structured settlement transfer law with NCOIL model language plus provisions already enacted in Georgia, Louisiana, and Nevada, including registration with the Department of Commerce, bonding requirements, prohibited practices, private rights of action, penalties, and disclosure and approval procedures. The committee adopted an A3 amendment requiring court-appointed independent counsel in certain cases involving minors or possible mental or cognitive impairment, with the purchase company paying up to $1,500, and then heard testimony from the bill author and a testifier before continuing discussion.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard a presentation on the Solar for Schools program from the Department of Commerce and on Xcel Energy’s separate Solar on Schools program. Commerce reported that the outside-Xcel program launched this year with $7.2 million for K-12 schools and $2.142 million for colleges and universities, covers up to 40-kilowatt systems, and requires solar and renewable energy to be incorporated into school curricula. Officials said the first application round drew 122 grant applications from 45 districts totaling about $12 million in requests, with 80 schools approved to move to final applications by May 31; if all proceed, the current budget would be fully used. They said the program is reaching high-need districts, largely outside the metro, and that the governor’s budget includes $3 million more for the program. Commerce also said it plans a July 1 RFP focused on colleges and universities, plus a webinar and stakeholder comment period before launch. Xcel Energy said its territory already has 179 schools using prior solar programs and that its new Solar on Schools program, developed after last year’s legislation, is awaiting final Public Utilities Commission approval. Xcel explained that its program will provide upfront payments and a production incentive, with an income-qualified enhancement for schools serving low-income students. The company said the PUC process has caused some delay but may improve the program, and suggested waiting to consider additional funding until the program is operating and demand can be assessed. Members asked about timing, stakeholder objections in the PUC process, and whether solar schools would face grid-maintenance charges; Commerce said the statute does not directly address such charges. The chair thanked both agencies for their work and noted the value of distributed generation. The committee then took up House File 3905, a weatherization bill by Representative Biermann. Biermann moved the bill to be laid over and offered the DE5 amendment, which was adopted. Biermann said the bill responds to the Weatherization Task Force report and aims to expand weatherization statewide by using federal DOE funds plus state dollars, reducing deferrals, improving workforce training and outreach, and extending project timelines. He said weatherization helps low-income households, especially elderly residents, people with disabilities, and families with children, while also lowering bills, improving health and safety, reducing emissions, and easing grid stress. Testimony from Scott Zohar of the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency and Bill Grant of the Minnesota Community Action Partnership supported the program, describing long waitlists, high deferral rates due to home conditions, workforce shortages, and average energy savings of about 20 to 30 percent. No vote was taken on the bill itself beyond adoption of the DE5 amendment and laying the bill over.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met remotely, approved the March 16, 2022 minutes without objection, and then took up House File 4300, the governor’s supplemental education budget bill, which was moved to be laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill. Before the bill presentation, Representative Kresha asked about returning to in-person hearings; Chair Dabney replied that the House’s limited hybrid-capable hearing space currently constrains that option, though the virtual format has allowed broader participation. Kresha said his concern was about process and functionality, not attendance, and the chair noted his comments. Commissioner Heather Mueller presented the budget as a major investment in Minnesota education, citing about $788 million in FY 2023 and roughly $1.7 billion over the biennium. She highlighted funding for early learning scholarships, a targeted public pre-K program, universal meals, literacy initiatives, multi-tiered supports, mental health services, English learner and special education supports, American Indian education aid, and workforce recruitment and retention. Department staff then walked through the bill’s articles: general education changes such as a 2 percent formula increase, expanded online learning access, CTE transportation aid, EL revenue changes, and updated revenue formulas; education excellence provisions including competency-based education, the Bold Literacy Plan, American Indian education clarifications, student support personnel, and mental health screening grants; teacher workforce provisions including American Indian history/culture licensure training, Grow Your Own programs, Q Comp updates, and teacher prep pathways; and special education provisions extending services to age 22, expanding transition programming, reducing the special education cross-subsidy, and revising specific learning disability criteria. The remaining articles covered facilities, universal free meals, and early learning services. Facilities provisions tied long-term facilities maintenance to the general education formula. Nutrition provisions would provide free breakfast and lunch to students in participating Minnesota schools, require meals to be offered at no charge, and expand breakfast access and reimbursement rules. Early learning provisions would create a full-day, state-funded public pre-kindergarten program for eligible four-year-olds, adjust early learning scholarship priorities and transition rules, increase developmental screening and early childhood education aid, and set aside Head Start funding for tribal programs. No votes on the bill itself were taken during the portion of the meeting provided beyond the motion to lay the bill over and the approval of the minutes.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took Senate File 3259 off the table and adopted an A6 amendment to the A4 delete-all. Counsel explained the amendment narrowed the bill to residential energy and building codes, retained a five-year payback requirement for energy code changes, removed a problematic PUD-related provision and a reference to amenities, and clarified that no residential code changes could be adopted before January 1, 2026 unless approved by law. After discussion, the committee adopted the amendment and then recommended Senate File 3259, as amended, to pass and re-refer it to the Local Government Policy Committee. Members discussed the bill’s purpose as a housing-affordability measure aimed at reducing home costs by limiting certain code and PUD requirements. The author argued that code changes can add significant costs to homes and that the bill would help more Minnesotans afford homes, while still allowing cities to use PUDs for lot-size and other minor changes. Some members supported the goal of increasing supply and affordability but raised concerns about whether the bill would actually produce affordable homes and whether the PUD language was sufficiently clear. The author responded that the bill was intended to curb aesthetic requirements that increase costs, not eliminate PUDs entirely. The committee then took up Senate File 3897, a first-generation homebuyer down payment assistance bill. The author moved to re-refer it without recommendation to the Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee, and a related bill by Senator Dietzick was described as similar but more restrictive. Testimony from the Minnesota Realtors Association and the Minnesota Home Ownership Center supported the proposal, citing research showing down payment assistance as a major barrier to homeownership, especially for low- and moderate-income households and communities of color. Supporters said the bill uses a new delivery model through community development corporations and includes reporting requirements to track loans and outcomes. Members generally agreed that inventory and homeownership access are key issues, though some noted the bill is only part of a broader affordability solution.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3774, the Minnesota Swan Protection Act, and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. Representative Hanson said he wrote the bill himself as a work in progress and said he wanted testimony to help shape it. He described the bill as an effort to address lead in fishing tackle and protect swans, noting that Minnesota has both native swan species and a non-native mute swan. Testimony was largely supportive of reducing lead exposure to wildlife. Audubon Minnesota’s Dale Gentry said lead fishing tackle is a serious threat to trumpeter swans and other birds, citing research showing lead ingestion can kill birds and that restrictions elsewhere, including in England and Wales, helped reduce swan deaths. Carol Henderson, a former DNR wildlife official and co-author of the original trumpeter swan restoration plan, supported the goal but said the bill’s focus on breeding swan waters would be difficult and expensive to administer and should also address wintering sites; he suggested a broader statewide approach and stronger limits on small lead jigs and sinkers. Dr. Laurie Dagerness, a veterinarian and Trumpeter Swan Society board member, described extensive treatment experience with lead-poisoned swans and said even small amounts of lead can kill them, but that treatment is costly and often unsuccessful. Jeanette Dean of the Sierra Club also supported passage, saying lead harms wildlife and ecosystems and that the bill should protect breeding waters used by swans and other important habitats. The DNR testified that trumpeter swans are a conservation success but still a species of special concern, and that the bill would affect many popular fishing lakes because breeding swans are estimated to be on about 2,000 fishable lakes. The agency outlined significant implementation costs, including public notices, signage, maintaining lists of restricted waters, education, tackle collection sites, enforcement, and rulemaking, and warned the work could duplicate an existing Pollution Control Agency education program and draw from non-game wildlife funding. In questions, Representative Green asked about the bill’s harassment language, and Hanson said he intended it to cover intentional, repeated disturbance such as chasing swans off nests, not ordinary boating or wildlife management. Representative Becker-Finn also commented in support of moving away from lead tackle, noting non-lead alternatives are now easier to find.