STATE OF MINNESOTA TWENTY-THIRD MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-FIRST SESSION
EARLY CHILDHOOD FINANCE AND POLICY DIVISION
MINUTES
Representative Pinto, Chair of the Committee, called the meeting to order at 8:09 am on February 18th, 2020 in Room 120 in the Capitol.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members Present:
PINTO, Dave, Chair
KOTYZA-WITTHUHN, Carlie, Vice-Chair
FRANSON, Mary
BAHNER, Kristin
DEMUTH, Lisa
HEINTZEMAN, Josh
MORRISON, Kelly
PRYOR, Laurie
WAZLAWIK, Ami
WEST, Nolan
A quorum was not present.
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn presented HF1.
A quorum was present at 8:15 am.
Representative Morrison moved that the minutes from February 13th, 2020 be approved. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF1 (Kotyza-Witthuhn) - Early childhood; additional funding and opportunities for children ages birth to three created; programs and funding for prenatal care services, home visiting, early childhood education, and child care assistance governed; and money appropriated.
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that HF1 be re-referred to the Health and Human Services Finance Division.
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that the DE5 amendment be added to HF1. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn continued to present HF1, as amended.
Testifiers:
Nedra Robinson, Early Childhood Program Manager, Simpson Housing Services
Jessica Row, Teacher, Steven Elementary
Debra Fitzpatrick, Children’s Defense Fund
Shareece Gabriel, Child Care Program Director, YMCA
Jon Losness, Executive Director, Families First of Minnesota
Barb Fabre, CEO, Indigenous Visioning
Ann McCully, Executive Director, Child Care Aware of Minnesota
Cisa Keller, Senior Vice President of Early Childhood Development, Think Small
Ericca Maas, Executive Director, Close Gaps by 5
The meeting was recessed at 9:12 am.
The meeting was reconvened at 5:32 pm.
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn continued to present HF1, as amended.
Testifiers:
Maria Regan Gonzalez, Mayor of Richfield and co-founder of La Red Latina de Educacion Temprana
Representative Michael Howard
Jenny Holweger, CEO, Kandiyohi County Area Family YMCA
Diana Anderson, Southwest Initiative Foundation
Suzanne Pearl, Minnesota Director, First Children’s Finance
Elaine Wyatt, CEO, WomenVenture
Jeff Andrews, Director of Program Innovation, WomenVenture
ThaoMee Xiong, Director of Government Relations, City of St. Paul
Rich Gehrman, Executive Director, Safe Passage for Children
Cyndi Cunningham, Public Policy Chairperson, Minnesota Child Care Provider Information Network
Amy Walstein, Education Policy and Workforce Development Director, Minnesota Business Partnership
Daniel Gumnit, CEO, People Serving People
Clare Sanford, Government Relations Chair, Minnesota Child Care Association
Greta Holupchinski, Toddler/Preschool Teacher, St. Paul
Karin Swenson, Child Care Provider, Rochester
Lauryn Schothorst, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Jason Adkins, Executive Director, Minnesota Catholic Conference
Saleemah Shabazz Salahud-Din, CCAP Parent
Christa Anders, Coordinator, Transforming Minnesota’s Early Childhood Workforce
Anne Krisnik, Executive Director, Joint Religious Legislative Coalition
The meeting was adjourned at 6:44 pm.
Representative Dave Pinto, Chair
Polly Cerkvenik, Committee Legislative
Assistant