STATE OF MINNESOTA FORTIETH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SIXTH SESSION
HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
FINANCE AND POLICY DIVISION
MINUTES
Representative Tom Rukavina, Chair of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division, called the meeting to order at 1:05 P.M. on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, in Room 5 of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
Rukavina, Tom, Chair
Bly, David, Vice Chair
Anderson, Sarah
Brynaert, Kathy
Clark, Karen
Dettmer, Bob
Downey, Keith
Eastlund, Rob
Gunther, Bob
Haws, Larry
Mahoney, Tim
McFarlane, Carol
Murphy, Mary
Nornes, Bud
Norton, Kim
Obermueller, Mike
Poppe, Jeanne
Reinert, Roger
Slocum, Linda
Welti, Andy
Members excused:
Atkins, Joe
A quorum was present.
Chair Rukavina invited Lester Engel, Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association, to come forward to begin his presentation.
Lester Engel, Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association, introduced himself and provided testimony regarding the needs of small manufacturing businesses.
Questions and discussion followed.
Chair Rukavina invited Representative Bly to come forward to present HF 2837.
HF 2837 (Knuth)
Representative Bly moved that HF 2837 be recommended to pass and be referred to the General Register.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 9, 2010
Page Two
Representative Bly presented HF 2837, relating to economic development; amending the definition of "green economy" to include the concept of "green chemistry".
Kathleen Schuler, Health Legacy Coalition, introduced herself and provided testimony regarding HF 2873.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Bly renewed his motion that HF 2837 be recommended to pass and be referred to the General Register. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Representative Bly assumed the chair at 1:45 P.M.
HF 3037 (Rukavina)
Representative Rukavina presented HF 3037, relating to economic development; establishing a manufacturing equipment loan program for manufacturing businesses in the state; authorizing the sale and issuance of revenue bonds.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Rukavina moved to amend HF 3037 as follows:
Page 2, line 21, delete "legislative appropriations,"
THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Rukavina moved that HF 3037 as amended be recommended to pass and be referred to the Capital Investment Committee.
Questions and di scussion followed.
Lester Engel, Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association, introduced himself and provided testimony regarding HF 3037 as amended.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Rukavina renewed his motion that HF 3037 as amended be recommended to pass and be referred to the Capital Investment Committee. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF 3448 (Rukavina)
Representative Rukavina moved that HF 3448 be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.
Representative Rukavina presented HF 3448, relating to higher education, establishing a pilot project for the local deposit of certain reserves.
David Skilbred, Vice President of Government Relations, Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota (ICBM) introduced himself and provided testimony in support of HF 3448.
Questions and discussion followed.
Judy Borgen, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) introduced herself and assisted with answering questions.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 9, 2010
Page Three
Questions and discussion continued.
Representative Rukavina changed his motion to recommend that HF 3448 pass and be referred to the Finance Committee.
Jim Conrad, President, University Bank, St. Paul, introduced himself and provided testimony in support of HF 3448 as amended.
Questions and discussion continued.
Judy Borgen, MnSCU, assisted with answering questions
Questions and discussion continued.
Joe Howe, Director of Operations, Treasury, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), introduced himself and provided assistance with answering questions.
Questions and discussion continued.
Judy Borgen, MnSCU, assisted with answering questions and provided testimony regarding HF 3448 as amended.
Questions and discussion continued.
Joe Howe, MMB, assisted with answering questions.
Judy Borgen, MnSCU, assisted with answering questions.
Questions and discussion continued.
Representative Rukavina renewed his motion that HF 3448 be recommended to pass and be referred to the Finance Committee.
Representative Downey recused himself from voting due to a conflict of interest.
Representative Rukavina renewed his motion that HF 3448 be recommended to pass and be referred to the Finance Committee. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Representative Bly recessed the meeting at 2:35 P.M. until 4:30 P.M.
Representative Rukavina reconvened the meeting at 4:40 P.M.
Representative Mahoney moved that the minutes of January 27, 2010 and March 4, 2010 be adopted. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF 3048 (Norton)
Representative Norton moved that HF 3048 be recommended to pass and be referred to the General Register.
Representative Norton moved to amend HF 3048 with the amendment
A10-2301. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Norton presented HF 3048, relating to labor and industry; modifying construction codes and licensing provisions; modifying certain notice provisions.
Questions and discussion followed.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 9, 2010
Page Four
Representative Norton renewed her motion that HF 3048 as amended be recommended to pass and be referred to the General Register. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF 2810 (Rukavina)
Representative Rukavina moved to amend HF 2810 with the delete everything amendment
H2810DE3, attached.
Representative Rukavina presented the amendment H2810DE3 to HF 2810, relating to employment; modifying mandatory work and meal breaks.
Representative Rukavina renewed his motion to amend HF 2810 with the delete everything amendment H2810DE3. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Rukavina moved that HF 2810 as amended be recommended to pass and be referred to the General Register.
Questions and discussion followed.
Bernie Hesse, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789, introduced himself and provided testimony in support of HF 2810 as amended.
Questions and discussion followed.
Jeremy Estenson, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, introduced himself and provided testimony in opposition to HF 2810 as amended.
Representative Eastlund moved to amend HF 2810 as amended as follows:
Page 1, line 6, delete "at least" and insert "up to"
Representative Rukavina accepted the amendment as a friendly amendment.
Questions and discussion followed.
John Rajkowski, Department of Labor and Industry, introduced himself and provided testimony regarding HF 2810 as amended and assisted with answering questions.
Questions and discussion continued.
Representative Rukavina renewed his motion that HF 2810 as amended be recommended to pass and be referred to the General Register. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF 3127 (Davnie)
Representative Haws moved that HF 3127 be recommended to pass and be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.
Rep. Davnie presented HF 3127, relating to unemployment insurance; modifying administrative, benefit, and tax provisions.
Questions and discussion followed.
Chair Rukavina invited Lee Nelson from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to come forward to comment regarding HF 3127.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 9, 2010
Page Five
Lee Nelson, Legal Counsel, Unemployment Insurance Division, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), introduced himself and provided testimony regarding HF 3127.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Haws renewed his motion that HF 3127 be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.
HF 2946 (Kalin)
Representative Mahoney moved that HF 2946 be recommended to pass and be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.
Representative Mahoney moved to amend HF 2946 with the amendment
H2946A1.
Representative Kalin presented HF 2946, relating to economic development; expanding a grant program for public infrastructure for bioscience businesses to include clean energy businesses.
Representative Kalin discussed the amendment H2646A1.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Kalin made futher comments.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Mahoney renewed his motion to amend HF 2946 with the amendment H2946A1.
THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
A division was requested. The vote was 6 ayes and 7 nays. THE MOTION DID NOT PREVAIL. THE AMENDMENT WAS NOT ADOPTED.
Representative Mahoney renewed his motion that HF 2646 be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.
HF 3517 (Clark)
Representative Clark moved that HF 3517 be recommended to pass and be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.
Representative Clark moved to amend HF 3517 with the amendment
H3517A3, attached.
Representative Clark discussed the amendment H3517A3.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Clark renewed her motion to amend HF 3517 with the amendment H3517A3. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Rukavina moved to amend HF 3517 with the amendment
H3517A5, attached.
Representative Rukavina discussed the amendment H3517A5.
Doug Berg, House Fiscal Analyst, assisted with the discussion of amendment H3517A5.
Representative Rukavina renewed his motion to amend HF 3517 with the amendment H3517A5. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 9, 2010
Page Six
Representative Clark presented HF 3517, relating to occupations and professions; modifying cosmetology licensing provisions; imposing fees; appropriating money; requiring rulemaking.
Representative Reinert made comments regarding the Board of Cosmetology.
Gina Stauss, Executive Director, Board of Cosmetology, introduced herself and provided testimony regarding HF 3517.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Reinert moved to amend HF 3517 with the amendment
H3517A2 attached.
Representative Reinert discussed the H3517A2 amendment.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Reinert renewed his motion to amend HF 2946 with the amendment H3517A2.
THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Clark renewed her motion that HF 3517 as amended be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.
HF 3133 (Loeffler)
Representative Clark moved that HF 3133 be recommended to pass and be referred to the General Register.
Representative Clark moved to amend HF 3133 with the amendment
H3133DE2, attached.
Representative Clark discussed the amendment H3133DE2.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Clark renewed her motion to amend HF 3517 with the delete everything amendment H3133DE2. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Bly moved to amend HF 3133 as amended with the amendment
H3133A1, attached. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Loeffler presented HF 3133 as amended, relating to employment; providing for workers’ compensation benefits for domestic partners; including domestic partners of military members in employee leave requirements; providing for payment of wages due a deceased employee to a surviving domestic partner.
Jane Bowman, Board Member, Project 515, introduced herself and provided testimony regarding HF 3133 as amended.
Questions and discussion followed.
Representative Clark renewed her motion that HF 3133 as amended be recommended to pass and be referred to the General Register.
Representative Anderson requested a roll call vote.
Minutes
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division
March 9, 2010
Page Seven
The clerk called the roll for the vote, as attached. With a vote of 10 ayes and 3 nays, THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Chair Rukavina discussed HF 1326, the MEED bill.
Questions and discussion followed.
Chair Rukavina announced the committee would meet again at 5:30 P.M. tomorrow.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 P.M.
Representative Tom Rukavina, Chair
Susan Scott, Committee Legislative Assistant