Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The conference committee on House File 4024, the Higher Education Finance and Policy bill, took up the A24-0346 delete-everything amendment and walked through its fiscal and policy changes. Staff explained the bill’s budget items, including a $19.604 million ALS appropriation cancellation and reappropriation, a shift of $5.4 million from Northstar Promise to the Fostering Independence Grant, a $500,000 appropriation for Minnesota State’s Kids on Campus/Head Start initiative, and modest special revenue increases tied to licensure and registration fees. The committee adopted the A24 amendment after the walkthrough. Members then reviewed the policy sections, which covered criminal-record questions in admissions, American Indian Scholars Program eligibility, transcript withholding restrictions, sexual misconduct policy changes, parenting and pregnant student supports, Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education updates, the new RISE Act for students with disabilities, online program management contracts, report consolidation, Summer Academic Enrichment updates, financial aid calculation flexibility, Fostering Independence Grants, Northstar Promise, student loan fund changes, and a higher cap on revenue bonds for the Higher Education Facilities Authority. Additional sections addressed private and out-of-state postsecondary registration, physical presence definitions, closed-school refund timing, private career school licensure and fees, nondisclosure agreement limits, probationary licenses, workforce development scholarships, and free access to the Landscape Arboretum for disabled veterans. During discussion, members raised concerns about omitted or altered provisions, including a Southwest State University online program management issue, the removal of a Gift Aid-related provision, and a scholarship/endowment language dispute tied to a $10 million rural health workforce project. The committee reconsidered the amendment, adopted a McDonald amendment restoring House language from “endowment fund” to “program,” and then adopted the A24 amendment as amended. Testimony from CentraCare and the University of Minnesota indicated they could work with the scholarship language and wanted the funding released. The commissioner of the Office of Higher Education opposed adding the Gift Aid language, saying it was redundant and had raised concerns from Mid-State; no further action on that proposal was taken in the portion provided.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee on House File 2609 met on May 16, 2024, and focused on resolving differences between the House and Senate versions of a gun violence prevention bill. Members opened with remarks of gratitude and remembrance following the memorial service for fallen officers, and several participants thanked staff, law enforcement, and stakeholders for their work on the measure. Nonpartisan staff explained that the main differences involved the definition of a binary trigger and the straw purchase provisions, including a Senate-added enhanced penalty and an affirmative defense. The committee then considered the A24-349 delete-everything amendment, which largely adopted the Senate position on the binary trigger definition and modified the straw purchase affirmative defense by narrowing it and raising the proof standard to clear and convincing evidence. Representative Witty offered amendment A8 to remove the trigger activator section, arguing it was confusing, could create enforcement problems, and might raise constitutional concerns; Senator Gustafson opposed it, saying the language had been vetted with experts and law enforcement support existed for the clarified definition. A8 failed on a voice vote. Witty then offered A9 to delete the affirmative defense, arguing it could be misused and weaken the straw buyer penalties; after discussion about domestic violence, due process, and the evidentiary standard, the amendment also failed. The committee ultimately adopted the A24-349 amendment by voice vote. After it passed, the chair directed nonpartisan staff to prepare the conference committee report and authorized technical and conforming changes to reflect the committee’s intent. The meeting then adjourned.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The provided text appears to be a brief closing or acknowledgment exchange rather than a substantive legislative committee or floor transcript. It contains repeated expressions of thanks and a name or title, "POMAYOR," but no discussion of bills, policy issues, testimony, motions, votes, or other legislative actions. Because there is no additional context or substantive content, no specific topics or decisions can be summarized from this excerpt.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Minnesota Senate Subcommittee on Committees met on May 16 at 2:00 p.m. with a quorum present to handle a single item of business related to the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The chair explained that Senator Dietz had requested to be removed from the commission after serving for a number of years, and that Senator Pappas would be appointed to fill the vacancy. A member noted that the commission’s work is substantial and supported the change in light of Senator Dietz’s circumstances. The subcommittee then formally moved to remove Senator Dietz and add Senator Pappas to the LCCMR. The motion was put to a voice vote and prevailed. The meeting concluded immediately afterward with adjournment.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met on May 16 to review two vehicle bills for the capital investment package: SF 5251, the GO bonding bill, and SF 5201, the general fund cash bill. Senator Pappas explained that the committee was working from a self-imposed target because no formal target had been set, and said the process included a negotiated $600 million agency bill with the administration plus about $330 million for local projects, though that local amount might still be reduced. He emphasized transparency in the bonding process and said the package was heavily focused on asset preservation, wastewater and clean water, roads and bridges, public safety, and tree-related projects, including tree planting and nursery funding. Fiscal analyst Hannah Grunwald walked through the spreadsheet comparing the first engrossment to the proposed bill, highlighting changes across higher education, natural resources, public safety, transportation, housing, and water infrastructure. Notable items included increased funding for the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State, DNR asset preservation, Badora Tree Nursery, tree planting grants, public safety facilities, bridge and road programs, public housing rehab, corrections projects, and a large set of local project earmarks. She also noted several reductions or removals from the first engrossment, including some accessibility, reforestation, wastewater, and transportation items, while some new local projects were added in the proposal. She reported the net GO impact was just under $980 million in the first engrossment and about $930 million in the new proposal, with net general fund impact of $40 million before debt service. Members asked questions about specific items, especially a $1 million cash grant for Capital Mall improvements tied to fundraising for a proposed C. Gilbert Park, and about parking impacts near the Capitol. Senator Pappas said the park project would be part of a broader Capital Mall redesign and that parking plans would need to be checked with administration staff. Senators also raised concerns about higher education bonding, HEAPR, and the reduction of funding for roads, bridges, wastewater, and drinking water projects; Senator Pappas responded that the changes reflected negotiations with the administration and that some priorities had to be scaled back. No formal vote or final action was taken in the transcript, and the bills were presented for review as working documents.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The conference committee for House File 3911 met on May 16 with a quorum present and first reviewed and adopted the fiscal spreadsheet. Staff walked through the major appropriations and revenue changes across the Pollution Control Agency, Department of Natural Resources, Board of Water and Soil Resources, and Metropolitan Council. The spreadsheet included funding for items such as climate resiliency grants, legal and permitting costs, composting grants, Olmsted County tire and solid waste removal, environmental justice capacity, air monitoring, electric lawn and snow equipment rebates, fish hatchery water quality monitoring, wolf center improvements, community tree grants, pollinator habitat grants, and various DNR and BWSR programs. Members then voted to adopt the spreadsheet, and the motion prevailed. The committee next reviewed the conference committee agreement, with staff describing which House and Senate provisions were included, modified, or dropped. In the Pollution Control article, the agreement retained enforcement-related provisions, food waste and sewage sludge language, a compromised boat wrap stewardship program, packaging waste changes, and reporting requirements, while also adding or modifying provisions on penalties, waste composition studies, county notification of CLIP money, and air pollution compliance. The DNR and related articles included provisions on fish hatchery water quality, unsafe ice reimbursement, International Wolf Center improvements, trust land condemnation and school fund transfers, outreach and education, conservation officer compensation, electronic licensing, minerals and gas/oil provisions, off-highway motorcycle changes, snowmobile muffler requirements, endangered species and wildlife management items, and several county-specific land and park provisions. Later articles covered the packaging waste and cost reduction act, feral swine and fur farm changes, environmental review and permitting, and state lands provisions. The agreement also created or adjusted funding mechanisms such as the new pollinator habitat account and packaging product stewardship account, and included a mix of House-only, Senate-only, and compromise language on topics like buffer violations, soil health reporting, public waters inventory mapping, bait supply, and the rusty patched bumblebee. No final vote on the conference committee agreement was recorded in the portion provided, but the committee completed the walkthrough of the final policy agreement.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House leaders and members discussed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) at length, accusing Republicans of using extended debate to filibuster and block a vote. DFL speakers said the GOP tied support for a state infrastructure/bonding bill to dropping the ERA, which they rejected, and argued the amendment should go to the Minnesota public for a constitutional vote. They also framed the delay as part of a broader pattern of dilatory debate on conference committee reports, including junk fees and paid family and medical leave, and said the House used its rules to end debate when it became clearly delaying tactics. Members defended the House’s decision to adjourn at midnight, citing safety, precedent, and the Speaker’s control of the chamber. They said the minority has a right to be heard, but the majority also has a responsibility to govern, and that moving to a vote or using the previous question are available tools when debate becomes obstructive. The discussion also referenced the history of civil-rights filibusters, including the Civil Rights Act and Minnesota’s own past debates over marriage equality. Beyond the ERA, the meeting touched on several other end-of-session items: gun violence prevention, affordable housing, education, sports betting, and a proposed ban related to horse racing/HHR. Leaders said they were still negotiating Uber/Lyft driver pay rates and a broader transportation-related deal, with no final announcement yet. On bonding, they said they would not trade civil rights for infrastructure projects, though they remained open to a deal on capital investment if Republicans stopped conditioning support on the ERA. They also noted that several conference committees were nearly finished and that the House expected to take up the ERA and other reports in the remaining session time.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House Republican Leader Lisa Demuth and other GOP members held a press availability about the end of Minnesota’s legislative session, focusing on what they described as the majority’s decision to cut off debate on major bills. They argued that Democrats had limited committee vetting, shortened testimony, excluded Republicans from conference committees, and then moved to end floor debate before all members could speak or vote. Demuth said the Speaker’s action set a dangerous precedent and undermined transparency and public trust. The discussion centered on several late-session items, including paid family leave, bonding, sports betting, Uber/Lyft-related issues, EMS funding, and the proposed Equal Rights Amendment language. Republicans said the paid leave proposal would raise taxes and was not fully vetted, and they criticized the bonding package as still unsettled despite a large surplus and a major state spending increase. They also said the ERA language was too broad and divisive, with no Republican support in its current form. Members repeatedly contrasted this year’s situation with a 2015 end-of-session precedent, arguing that the current cutoff came days before adjournment rather than at the very last minute. They said they had been willing to continue negotiations if given serious offers, and that some items remained at risk if the majority did not engage. No votes or final legislative actions were taken in the press availability itself, though they noted the House had passed a motion to meet past midnight before the Speaker ended proceedings.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House took up the conference committee report on Senate File 3852, a labor bill, after the Senate had already concurred in the report. Representative Nelson explained that the conference committee made four main changes from the House version: a nursing home standards effective date was moved from August 1 to November 1, a minor change was made to a non-compete-related provision, apprenticeship language from the Department of Labor and Industry was accepted, and the minimum wage inflation adjustment cap was changed from 2.5% to 5% while still tying annual increases to the CPI. Nelson also said the bill removes the lower minimum wage for small employers, leaving one statewide minimum wage, with a training wage still in place. He emphasized that the change does not guarantee a 5% increase each year, but only sets the maximum cap if inflation is high enough. Representative Myers moved to refuse adoption of the conference report and asked for a roll call, arguing the bill did not adequately balance worker and employer interests. He criticized provisions affecting small employers, credit card fees, minimum wage, and other labor-related costs, and said his amendments were not supported in conference. Representative Schultz and Representative McDonald supported the motion, with Schultz objecting to the minimum wage changes and McDonald warning about costs, fines, and due process concerns for employers. Representative Niska also opposed the report, focusing on the section 53 “shadow non-compete” language and saying the conference committee should have removed it entirely rather than creating a narrow software-related carve-out. Representative Baker raised questions about whether the bill affected J-visa hospitality workers and related employer obligations such as lodging and food; Nelson responded that the bill was not changing those other program requirements, but was deleting the lower wage provisions and related lodging-benefit section. The motion to refuse adoption failed on a roll call vote, 59 yeas to 68 nays. The House then adopted the conference committee report and proceeded to third reading of House File 3852. During follow-up questions, Nelson reiterated that the bill creates one minimum wage across the state for large and small employers, with a training wage exception, and said the Department of Labor and Industry supported a single standard for enforcement. Some members remained concerned that the report’s language still referenced employer-size definitions and could create confusion, but the report was adopted and the bill advanced.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee on House File 5242 met on March 15, 2024, to work through the remaining labor and transportation portions of the omnibus bill, with housing already closed. Members first took up a labor package described as including broadband language, remaining PELRA modifications, a responsible contractor provision, and technical changes to earned sick and safe time. Staff explained the package and the related amendments A194, A176, and A143, including PELRA clarifications, conforming changes to financial assistance and prevailing wage language, responsible contractor definitions and cleanup, and technical changes to earned sick and safe time, including farm worker and collective bargaining provisions. The committee then adopted the labor motion by voice vote. After that, members considered Representative Petersburg’s A107 amendment to require employees to give employers at least two hours’ notice before using earned sick and safe time when reasonable and possible. Supporters said the change would help small businesses and allow time to cover shifts, while opponents said the bill already allowed advanced notice for foreseeable absences and that the amendment was redundant and could create unintended consequences. The committee rejected A107 on a voice vote. The committee also took up House language to expand the contractor recovery fund to cover pool contractors, with staff explaining that pool contractors would need to be licensed and pay into the fund so homeowners could seek recovery for losses tied to pool installation. Senator Mchuan opposed the proposal as a late addition and questioned whether it fit the fund’s purpose, and Senator Lier asked whether the pool industry had been consulted; no outside testimony was offered. The motion failed on a voice vote, and the committee then recessed to the call of the chair.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House received a message from the Senate announcing concurrence in the conference committee report on Senate File 4579, an energy bill. Representative Holland moved to adopt the report and repass the bill as amended. In explaining the compromise, Holland said the measure was the product of extensive work with stakeholders, including Legal Aid Minnesota, the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association, and third-party billing companies, and that it would give tenants in shared-meter buildings protections similar to those in directly metered buildings while giving the Public Utilities Commission authority in shared-meter situations. Representative Niska supported the report, praising the bipartisan work and noting that the bill created needed legal certainty for both housing providers and tenants. He highlighted the good-faith collaboration between Legal Aid and the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association as a model for solving real problems. Holland also thanked the stakeholders and urged adoption. The House adopted the conference committee report, advanced the bill to third reading, and then passed Senate File 4579 as amended by a roll call vote of 125 ayes and 0 nays. The bill’s title was agreed to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 5363, a technical update to the Paid Family and Medical Leave program, was taken up with several amendments and extensive debate over implementation details. Representative Frasier said the bill makes technical fixes to rate-setting, appeals, private plan interactions, small business administration, and retroactive pay for the first week of leave, and noted the program is scheduled to begin in January 2026. The A18 amendment, which restored language on eligibility based on employment in the last year rather than the quarter and made related safety leave changes, was adopted without cost. The A11 amendment, requiring that actuarial study updates and related documents be shared with committee chairs and ranking minority members, was also adopted. The main point of contention was the A12 amendment offered by Representative Perryman to delay implementation by one year, with authority for DEED to delay up to another 12 months. Supporters argued the program is complex, the IT work is not yet contracted, and the state should avoid repeating past rollout problems like MNLARS and MNsure; several members said the added time would help ensure the program is implemented correctly. Opponents, led by Frasier and others, said the state has already built in a sufficient runway, that DEED is on schedule, and that delaying would unnecessarily postpone benefits people have been waiting for. Debate also focused on the bill’s fiscal impact, especially the retroactive first-week payment, which some members said was a substantive and costly change. A roll call was requested on the Perryman amendment after extended discussion. The transcript provided does not show the final vote on A12 or final passage of the bill, but it does show the earlier A18 and A11 amendments being adopted.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The meeting focused on a conference committee report for a bill on consumer price transparency and related regulatory provisions. Senators debated whether businesses should be required to disclose all fees upfront, with supporters arguing it would protect consumers from hidden charges and opponents warning it would create confusion, increase compliance costs, and should wait for Federal Trade Commission rules. The author, Senator Port, said the bill was a simple two-page consumer protection measure and emphasized that advertised prices should match what customers actually pay. After discussion, the secretary called the roll and the bill passed on final passage by a vote of 36 ayes to 31 noes, with its title agreed to as amended by the conference committee. The chamber then took up a motion by Senator Dames to reject the conference committee report on Senate File 4097 and send it back for further work. Senators Rasmussen and others supported the motion, saying the report had become too regulatory and included provisions that lacked clear examples of harm or broad bipartisan support, especially the net neutrality and social media transparency sections. Senator Klein opposed the motion and summarized the report’s contents, including disclosures on long-term disability insurance, updated life insurance language, a mandate for health plans to cover gender-affirming care, consumer and medical debt provisions, catalytic converter updates, written repair estimates over $100, social media disclosures, net neutrality, storm-chaser-related insurance provisions, and new alcohol/social district provisions for certain cities. The motion to reject was discussed further, but the transcript does not show a final vote on that motion before the excerpt ends. A substantial portion of the discussion centered on the gender-affirming care insurance mandate and related religious exemption language. Senator Abeler questioned the definition of “medically necessary care,” informed consent, and how the religious objection provisions would apply to churches and religious organizations with insurance. Senator Klein responded that informed consent is already a standard medical principle and that the mandate would not change it, and he referred some questions to Senator Dibble for more detailed explanation. The exchange remained focused on how the added health-care provisions would operate and whether they belonged in this bill.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The conference committee on Senate File 5242 met to finish work on the labor and broadband portions of the transportation, labor, and housing omnibus supplemental finance bill. Members first cleaned up earlier labor amendments by withdrawing and replacing A194 with a staff-drafted correction document (SS24-14), then adopted technical motions to revise Senate language and adjust Senate Article 10 so the revisor could finalize the bill. They also adopted A179, which updated appropriations to match the agreement spreadsheet, and approved a package of labor policy and broadband motions. The broadband discussion focused on A206 and A218. Staff explained that A206 recodified broadband reporting and underground telecommunications installer provisions, while A218 narrowed reporting for larger broadband installers and staggered the new underground installer requirements so they would apply in the metro area starting July 1, 2025 and statewide starting January 1, 2026. Members discussed whether the language had full stakeholder agreement; staff said it had been worked out with agencies and industry, though one member noted hearing some remaining concerns. The committee also adopted A215, providing $39,000 in ongoing funding for Public Utilities Commission enforcement of the new underground telecommunications requirement, and made a small oral correction inserting the word “or” in a labor-related section. A fiscal analyst then walked through the labor conference committee spreadsheet, explaining that it met the labor jurisdiction’s $10.65 million general fund target. The spreadsheet included funding for earned sick and safe time rulemaking, private sector personnel records, labor standards operating adjustments, misclassification education and enforcement, prevailing wage enforcement, workplace safety rulemaking, underground telecommunications installer licensing, residential energy code rulemaking, contractor recovery fund changes, Bureau of Mediation Services items, Department of Health support for blood-level rulemaking, DEED broadband and Rise Up Center funding, Department of Revenue and Attorney General misclassification-related items, and the PUC enforcement appropriation. Members asked about the larger labor standards operating adjustment, and staff said it partly reflected shifting funds away from University of Minnesota labor relations staffing and toward DLI labor standards work. The committee took several votes and all motions described in the meeting carried.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The conference committee took up a delete-all amendment to the cannabis bill and first adopted several technical and conforming changes. Members approved an amendment making a change to cannabis taxation on tribally regulated lands, then adopted another making the alternative veteran application for the medical program optional rather than mandatory. They also adopted an oral amendment to the technical cleanup amendment, which removed a section that had become obsolete because a related Senate proposal had been dropped. The sponsor explained the technical changes were intended to align the bill with other proposals, remove repetition, clarify definitions and verification language, and correct effective dates. The committee then considered Representative West’s amendment to delete the exemption allowing municipal cannabis dispensaries not to count toward local limits. West argued the exemption would undermine local control in small communities and leave them without meaningful ability to manage the cannabis market. Senator Port and others opposed the change, saying municipalities had already been given a guaranteed license but should not be allowed to create a local monopoly, and the committee rejected the amendment on a roll call vote, with no Senate votes in favor and only one House vote in favor. Members next debated an amendment to expand social equity qualifications to include women who operate woman-owned businesses. West argued the bill’s social equity categories were too broad and should be expanded to other historically marginalized groups, while Senator McEwen and Senator Port said the bill was intended to address harms from cannabis prohibition and the War on Drugs, not every historical grievance. The amendment failed on a roll call vote, again with no Senate support and only one House vote in favor. A later West amendment to loosen limits on how much of a business a social equity applicant could sell to investors was also opposed by the chairs and stakeholders as weakening protections against bad-faith actors; it failed on a roll call vote. Finally, West proposed giving applicants with secured property and related environmental and security plans two entries in the lottery instead of one, arguing it would better evaluate readiness and improve market quality, but the discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.