STATE OF MINNESOTA EIGHTEENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-NINTH SESSION
EDUCATION INNOVATION POLICY COMMITTEE
MINUTES
Representative Sondra Erickson, Chair of the Education Innovation Policy Committee, began the meeting at 8:15 AM on March 12, 2015, in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
ERICKSON, Sondra, Chair
BENNETT, Peggy,
Vice Chair
BLY, David
CHRISTENSEN, Drew
DAVNIE, Jim
KRESHA, Ron
LUCERO, Eric
MARIANI, Carlos
MORAN, Rena
NORNES, Bud
PETERSON, Roz
PIERSON, Nels
SELCER, Yvonne
URDAHL, Dean
WARD, JoAnn
WHELAN, Abigail
WILLS, Anna
WINKLER, Ryan
YARUSSO, Barb
A quorum was present at 8:17 AM and the meeting was called to order.
Brenda Cassellius, Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner, testified to House File 1591 (A bill for an act relating to education; providing for policy for early childhood and kindergarten through grade 12 education, including general education, education excellence, special education, facilities and technology, early childhood education, libraries, and state agencies; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 16A.103, subdivision 1c; 120B.022, subdivisions 1, 1b; 120B.024, subdivision 2; 120B.12, subdivision 2; 120B.125; 120B.30, subdivisions 1, 1a, 3, 4, by adding subdivisions; 120B.31, subdivision 2; 122A.31, subdivisions 1, 2; 122A.414, subdivision 3; 122A.60, subdivision 4; 123A.24, subdivision 1; 123B.77, subdivision 3; 123B.88, subdivision 1; 124D.09, subdivisions 5a, 9; 124D.10, subdivisions 3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 14, by adding a subdivision; 124D.128, subdivision 1; 124D.165, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, by adding subdivisions; 124D.72; 124D.73, subdivisions 3, 4; 124D.74, subdivisions 1, 3, 6; 124D.75, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 9; 124D.76; 124D.78; 124D.79, subdivisions 1, 2; 124D.791, subdivision 4; 125A.023, subdivisions 3, 4; 125A.027; 125A.21; 125A.28; 125A.63, subdivisions 4, 5; 125A.75, subdivision 9; 125A.76, subdivisions 1, 2c; 125B.26, subdivision 2; 126C.10, subdivision 13a; 126C.13, subdivisions 3a, 4; 126C.17, subdivisions 1, 2; 126C.48, subdivision 8; 127A.05, subdivision 6, by adding a subdivision; 127A.49, subdivision 1; 127A.70, subdivision 1; 134.20, subdivision 2; Laws 2014, chapter 312, article 16, section 15; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 120B.128; 120B.35, subdivision 5; 125A.63, subdivisions 1, 2, 3; 126C.12, subdivision 6; 126C.41, subdivision 1).
Representative Bud Nornes moved to approve the minutes of March 10, 2015. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Chair Sondra Erickson moved House File 1591 to be laid over for inclusion in an omnibus bill.
Commissioner Cassellius continued to testify to House File 1591.
Steven Huser, Deputy Director of Government Relations with Minnesota Department of Education, testified to House File 1591 and the A15-0176 Amendment.
Chair Erickson moved amendment A15-0176 to House File 1591. THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Steven Huser, Deputy Director of Government Relations with Minnesota Department of Education, testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Commissioner Cassellius testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Jennifer Dugan, Director of Statewide Testing with Minnesota Department of Education, testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Melissa Sweetmilk, Interim Co-Director and Dean of Students for the Metro Deaf School, testified with concerns about House File 1591 as amended.
Jenna King, a deaf parent of deaf children, testified with concerns about House File 1591 as amended.
Abigail Boettcher, parent of deaf children, testified with concerns about House File 1591 as amended.
Chair Erickson recessed the meeting at 9:57 AM.
Chair Erickson reconvened the meeting at 6:00 PM.
Steven Huser, Deputy Director of Government Relations with Minnesota Department of Education, continued to testify to House File 1591 as amended.
Kevin McHenry, Assistant Commissioner with Minnesota Department of Education testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Daron Korte, Deputy Director with Minnesota Department of Education testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Adosh Unni, Government Relations Director with Minnesota Department of Education, testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Lisa Barnidge with Minnesota Department of Education testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Jim Bartholomew with Minnesota Business Partnership testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Denise Mayotte with MinneMinds testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Jodee Buhr with Education Minnesota testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Rick Heller, unofficially representing the twice exceptional and print disabled, testified to House File 1591 as amended.
Jennifer Dugan, Director of Statewide Testing with the Minnesota Department of Education, continued to testify to House File 1591 as amended.
Beth Fraser with Commission of Deaf and Deaf Blind & Hard of Hearing Minnesotans testified with concerns about House File 1591.
Shawna Hedlund, a Policy Fellow with Parents United for Public Schools, testified with concerns about House File 1591.
Chair Erickson renewed the motion and moved House File 1591 as amended to be laid over for inclusion in an omnibus bill.
Chair Erickson moved House File 702 for inclusion in an omnibus bill.
Chair Erickson moved amendment A0702A1 to House File 702. THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Kim Norton testified to House File 702 as amended. (A bill for an act relating to education; clarifying foreign language proficiency levels required for proficiency certificates and gold and platinum bilingual and multilingual state seals; directing Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to award academic credit for students' demonstrated foreign language proficiency; establishing an advisory task force on assessing students' proficiency in foreign languages when ACTFL assessments are unavailable; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.022, subdivisions 1a, 1b).
Josh Downham with Minneapolis Public Schools testified to House File 702.
Chair Erickson moved that Section 3 be deleted from House File 702 as amended. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Annika Fjelstad with Minneapolis Public Schools testified to House File 702.
Chair Erickson renewed the motion and moved House File 702 as amended for inclusion in an omnibus bill.
Representative Ron Kresha moved House File 1368 for re-referral to the Committee on Education Finance.
Representative Kresha testified to House File 1368 (A bill for an act relating to taxation; income; prekindergarten educational programs; providing a tax credit for contributions to qualified foundations; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 290.01, subdivisions 19a, 19c; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 290).
Nina Manzi with House Research testified to House File 1368.
Chair Erickson renewed the motion and re-referred House File 1368 to the Committee on Education Finance.
Representative Anna Wills moved House File 964 for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.
Representative Wills moved amendment A0964A1 to House File 964. THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Wills testified to House File 964 as amended. (A bill for an act relating to education; implementing portions of the 2013 legislative auditor's report on special education).
Mary Clarkson with Richfield Public Schools testified in favor of House File 964.
Jodee Buhr with Education Minnesota testified in favor of House File 964.
Sue Abderholden with National Alliance on Mental Illness testified in favor of House File 964.
Daron Korte with Minnesota Department of Education testified to House File 964.
Rick Heller, unofficially representing the twice exceptional and print disabled, testified to House File 964.
Chair Erickson renewed the motion and moved House File 964 as amended for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 PM.
Representative Sondra Erickson, Chair
Ethan Hellier, Committee Legislative Assistant