STATE OF MINNESOTA TWENTY-FIRST MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-NINTH SESSION
ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES
POLICY & FINANCE COMMITTEE
MINUTES
Representative McNamara, Chair of the Environment & Natural Resources Committee, called the meeting to order at 8:17 a.m. on March 3, 2015 in Hearing Room 5 of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
MCNAMARA, Denny Chair HEINTZEMAN, Josh
FABIAN, Dan, VC HORNSTEIN, Frank
CLARK, Karen JOHNSON, Clark
CORNISH, Tony NEWBERGER, Jim
DILL, David PERSELL, John
FISCHER, Peter POPPE, Jeanne
GREEN, Steve RARICK, Jason
HACKBARTH, Tom TORKELSON, Paul
HANCOCK, David UGLEM, Mark
HANSEN, Rick
HAUSMAN, Alice
Members Excused: FENTON, Kelly
A quorum was present.
Representative Uglem moved to approve the minutes of February 26, 2015.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Representative Fabian moved HF616 (Legislative approval of water quality standards and rules required, water quality standards cost-benefit analysis required, and money appropriated) and HF617 (Water quality work independent peer review required) for possible inclusion to an omnibus bill.
Testifying before the committee on HF616 and HF617 were:
Jeff Freeman, Executive Director, Public Facilities Authority;
Jeff Lewis, Executive Director, Red River Basin Commission;
Tony Kwilas, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce;
Scott Strand, Executive Director, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy;
Trevor Russell, Friends of the Mississippi;
John Hottinger, Sierra North Star Chapter;
Rebecca Flood, Assistant Commissioner for Water Policy, MPCA;
Katrina Kessler, Water Assessment Section Manager, MPCA.
Representative Fabian renewed his motion on HF616, as amended, and HF 617 for possible inclusion to an omnibus bill.
Representative Hackbarth moved HF572 (Utility licenses crossing public lands and waters fee exemption created) for possible inclusion to an omnibus bill.
Representative Hackbarth moved to orally amend HF572 as follows:
Page 1, line 1.8, after “all”, insert “application”.
Testifying before the committee on HF572 was:
Joel Johnson, Minnesota Rural Electric Association.
Representative Dill moved HF1008 (Timber permit extension interest rates modified) for possible inclusion to an omnibus bill.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:59 a.m.
Representative Denny McNamara, Chair
Greg Exley, Committee Legislative Assistant