STATE OF MINNESOTA THIRTY-THIRD MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SIXTH SESSION
K-12 EDUCATION FINANCE DIVISION
MINUTES
Representative Mindy Greiling, Chair of the Committee, called the meeting to order at 2:45PM on April 7, 2009, in Room 10 of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
GREILING, Mindy (Chair)
WARD, John (Vice-Chair)
ANDERSON, Paul
BENSON, John
BROWN, Robin
BUESGENS, Mark
DAVNIE, Jim
DEMMER, Randy
DETTMER, Bob
DITTRICH, Denise
DOEPKE, Connie
GAROFALO, Pat
MARIANI, Carlos
MARQUART, Paul
McFARLANE, Carol
MORGAN, Will
NEWTON, Jerry
SLOCUM, Linda
SWAILS, Marsha
TILLBERRY, Tom
Members excused:
ANZELC, Tom
A quorum was not present.
HF181 (Thissen) A bill for an act relating to health; simplifying enrollment and renewal procedures for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare; changing eligibility provisions for MinnesotaCare; changing coverage provisions and sliding fee scale for MinnesotaCare.
A quorum was present at 2:50pm.
Representative Greiling moved the minutes of April 2, 2009 be adopted.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Representative Greiling moved that HF181 be recommended to pass and be returned to the Finance Committee.
Representative Greiling offered
H0181A3 as an amendment to HF181.
THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Greiling offered the following oral amendment to HF181, as amended:
Page 2, line 9, after "is", delete "tied to" and insert "coordinated with"
Page 2, line 10, delete ", including prekindergarten programs"
Page 2, line 18, delete "to"
Page 2, line 19, after "(i)" insert "to"
Page 2, line 21, after "(ii)" insert "for the commissioner of human services to"
Page 2, line 22, delete "commissioners of human services" and insert "commissioner of human services in coordination with the commissioner of"
Representative Thissen and Carole Specktor, Advocacy & Legislative Affairs Director, Children’s Defense Fund, testified.
Public testimony on HF181, as amended, was provided by the following individuals:
Lisa Barnidge, Government Relations, Minnesota Department of Education
Representative Greiling renewed her motion that that HF181, as amended, be recommended to pass and be returned to the Finance Committee.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF2224 (Marquart) A bill for an act relating to education finance; modifying the authority for school districts to issue and sell certain general obligation bonds without voter approval; authorizing a levy for certain other postemployment benefits.
Representative Marquart moved that HF2224 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Education Finance Bill.
Representative Marquart offered
H2224A2 as an amendment to HF2224.
THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Marquart, Rebecca Otto, State Auditor, and David Kenny, Legal Counsel, State Auditor’s Department, testified.
Rebecca Otto, State Auditor, presented "Special Study: Other Postemployment Benefit Liabilities of School Districts in Minnesota."
Public testimony on HF2224, as amended, was provided by the following individuals:
Tom Deans, Legal Counsel, Minnesota School Boards Association
Brad Lundell, Executive Director, Schools for Equity in Education
Scott Croonquist, Executive Director, Association of Metropolitan School Districts
Representative Marquart renewed his motion that HF2224, as amended, be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Education Finance Bill.
HF2183 (Swails) A bill for an act relating to education; appropriating money to provide a grant to the Center for Arts in South Washington County.
Representative Swails moved that HF2183 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Education Finance Bill.
Representative Swails, Michelle Whitte, Board Member, Arts Connection, and Dan Matthews, Board Member, Arts Connection, testified.
Public testimony on HF2183 was provided by the following individuals:
Michelle Weber, Director of Government Relations, Minnesota Department of Education
Representative Swails renewed her motion that HF2183 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Education Finance Bill.
HF981 (Bly) A bill for an act relating to education; amending charter school provisions; creating a commission; authorizing a private nonprofit corporation.
Representative Greiling moved that HF981 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Education Finance Bill.
Representative Bly testified.
Representative Greiling offered
A09-0313 as an amendment to HF981.
THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Public testimony on HF981, as amended, was offered by the following individuals:
Morgan Brown, Assistant Commissioner of Office of Student Support Services
Representative Greiling renewed her motion that HF981, as amended, be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Education Finance Bill.
Josh Whitney-Wise, Campaign Communications Coordinator, SEIU, provided an overview of SEIU’s position on amendment TS-A03 to HF1364 (Gunther).
Grace Keliher, Director of Government Relations, MSBA, provided an overview of MSBA’s position on amendment TS-A03.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:15PM.
REP. Mindy Greiling, CHAIR
Elizabeth Mandelman
Committee Legislative Assistant