Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Minnesota House of Representatives

Elections Finance and Policy

EIGHTEENTH MEETING

2023-2024 Regular Session - Wednesday, February 21, 2024

STATE OF MINNESOTA EIGHTEENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-THIRD SESSION

ELECTIONS FINANCE AND POLICY MEETING MINUTES

Representative Mike Freiberg, Chair of the Committee on Elections Finance and Policy, called the meeting to order at 8:31am on February 21, 2024, in Room 200 of the State Office Building.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

Members Present:
FREIBERG, Mike, Chair
GREENMAN, Emma, Vice Chair
TORKELSON, Paul, Republican Lead
AGBAJE, Esther
ALTENDORF, Pam
BAHNER, Kristin
BLISS, Matt
COULTER, Nathan
DAVIS, Ben
FREDERICK, Luke
PURSELL, Kristi
QUAM, Duane
VIRNIG, Bianca

A quorum was present.

HF 3632 (Huot); A bill for an act relating to local government; authorizing the filling of a vacancy in the position of sheriff or county attorney by special election; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 375.08; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 375.

Representative Freiberg moved that HF 3632 be referred to the General Register.

Representative Freiberg moved the H3632A1 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED, THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Testifying on HF 3632, as amended:
• Laurie Halverson, Commissioner, Dakota County
• Nicole Freeman, Government Relations, Minnesota Secretary of State

Representative Freiberg renewed the motion that HF 3632, as amended, be referred to the General Register. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 3645 (Coulter); A bill for an act relating to campaign finance; amending local candidate financial report requirements; requiring the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to oversee campaign finance reporting requirements for political committees, political funds, and party units engaged in campaign activity for certain local elected offices and ballot questions for local governments; amending the definition of committee for purposes of chapter 211A; making technical and conforming changes; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 10A.01, subdivisions 7, 10d; 211A.01, subdivisions 3, 7, 8, by adding a subdivision; 211A.02, subdivision 2; 211A.05, subdivision 1; 211A.06; 211A.07; 211A.12; 211A.14; Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, sections 10A.20, subdivision 2a; 211A.02, subdivision 1; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 211A.01, subdivisions 2, 4; 211A.02, subdivision 4.

Representative Coulter moved that HF 3645 be laid over for possible inclusion.

Testifying on HF 3645:
• Julie Greene, Resident, Edina
• Jeff Sigurdson, Executive Director, Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board

Representative Coulter renewed the motion that HF 3645 be laid over for possible inclusion.

Representative Greenman assumed the gavel at 8:57am

HF 3557 (Freiberg); A bill for an act relating to elections; modifying various provisions related to election administration; modifying voter registration requirements; amending requirements related to voting instructions and sample ballots; amending requirements relating to tabulating votes and tabulation equipment; amending the timeline for notification provided to counties of certain elections; amending recount threshold requirements; amending the vacancy in nomination process; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 201.071, subdivision 3; 204B.13, subdivision 2; 204C.20, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision; 204C.35, subdivision 2; 204C.36, subdivisions 2, 3; 204D.29, subdivisions 1, 2, by adding a subdivision; 205.16, subdivisions 4, 5; 205A.05, subdivision 3; 205A.07, subdivisions 3, 3b; 205A.11, subdivision 2; 447.32, subdivision 3; Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, sections 201.061, subdivisions 3, 3a; 201.071, subdivision 1; 204B.09, subdivision 3; 204B.13, subdivision 6a; 204B.16, subdivision 1; 204B.295, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, by adding a subdivision; 204C.24, subdivision 1; 206.61, subdivision 1.

Representative Freiberg moved that HF 3557 be laid over for possible inclusion.

Representative Freiberg moved the 3557A1 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED, THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Testifying on 3557, as amended:
• Nicole Freeman, Government Relations, Minnesota Secretary of State

Representative Torkelson moved the H3557A3 amendment.

Representative Torkelson withdrew the H3557A3 amendment.

Representative Torkelson moved the H3557A4 amendment.

Representative Torkelson withdrew the H3557A4 amendment.

Representative Freiberg renewed the motion that HF 3557, as amended, be laid over for possible inclusion.

Representative Freiberg assumed the gavel at 9:35am.

HF 3625 (Stephenson); A bill for an act relating to public safety; modifying the deep fake election crime; disqualifying a convicted person from holding elected office; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 211B.17, subdivision 1; 211B.18; Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 609.771, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, by adding a subdivision.

Representative Freiberg moved that HF 3625 be re-referred to the committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law.

Representative Freiberg moved the H3625A1 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED, THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Testifying on HF 3625, as amended:
• Steve Simon, Secretary of State, Minnesota
• Mary Hartnett, Executive Director, Clean Elections Minnesota

Representative Torkelson moved the H3625A2 amendment.

Representative Torkelson requested a roll call on the H3625A2 amendment.

AYES:
Torkelson
Altendorf
Bliss
Davis
Quam

NAYS:
Freiberg
Greenman
Agbaje
Bahner
Coulter
Frederick
Pursell
Virnig

There being 5 Ayes and 8 Nayes, THE MOTION DID NOT PREVAIL, THE AMENDMENT WAS NOT ADOPTED.

Representative Freiberg renewed the motion that HF 3625, as amended, be re-referred to the committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:01 AM.


_____________________________________
Representative Mike Freiberg, Chair


______________________________________
Mike Hermanson, Committee Legislative Assistant
More Info On This Meeting..
Bills Added:
  • HF3557 (Freiberg) - Election administration provisions modified, voter registration requirements modified, voting instruction and sample ballot requirements amended, tabulation process and equipment requirements amended, notification timeline provided to counties amended, and vacancy in nomination process amended.
  • HF3625 (Stephenson) - Deep fake election crime modified, and convicted person disqualified from holding elected office.
  • HF3632 (Huot) - Sheriff or county attorney vacancy filling by special election authorized.
  • HF3645 (Coulter) - Local candidate financial report requirements amended; Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board required to oversee campaign finance reporting requirements for political committees, political funds, and party units engaged in campaign activity; definition of committee amended for purposes of chapter 211A; and technical and conforming changes made.
Documents:
Audio:
Listen Now
House TV Video:
View Archive

00:11 - HF3632 (Huot) Sheriff or county attorney vacancy filling by special election authorized.
11:57 - HF3645 (Coulter) Local candidate financial report requirements amended; Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board required to oversee campaign finance reporting requirements for political committees, political funds, and party units engaged in campaign activity; definition of committee amended for purposes of chapter 211A; and technical and conforming changes made.
27:13 - HF3557 (Freiberg) Election administration provisions modified, voter registration requirements modified, voting instruction and sample ballot requirements amended, tabulation process and equipment requirements amended, notification timeline provided to counties amended, and vacancy in nomination process amended.
1:04:54 - HF3625 (Stephenson) Deep fake election crime modified, and convicted person disqualified from holding elected office.
Runs 1 hour, 31 minutes.

HF3632 (Huot); Sheriff or county attorney vacancy filling by special election authorized.

HF3645 (Coulter); Local candidate financial report requirements amended; Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board required to oversee campaign finance reporting requirements for political committees, political funds, and party units engaged in campaign activity; definition of committee amended for purposes of chapter 211A; and technical and conforming changes made.

HF3557 (Freiberg); Election administration provisions modified, voter registration requirements modified, voting instruction and sample ballot requirements amended, tabulation process and equipment requirements amended, notification timeline provided to counties amended, and vacancy in nomination process amended.
Amendment removing language relating to nominations/vacancies (to be posted)

HF3625 (Stephenson); Deep fake election crime modified, and convicted person disqualified from holding elected office.

Bills may be taken up in any order, added, or removed at the Chair’s discretion

If you would like to testify or provide handouts to the committee please email simon.brown@house.mn.gov no later than 5pm the night before. Anything sent to the CA will be posted publicly unless specifically asked otherwise.

For further information on accommodations, please visit FAQs for Disability Access or contact the LCC Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility.coordinator@lcc.mn.gov

If you are having accessibility or usability problems with any Minnesota Legislative website or software, please send your comments to the Accessibility & Usability Comment Form

To request legislative services for American Sign Language (ASL), Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) closed captioning services, or live language interpretation services for Hmong, Somali, or Spanish speakers to testify, please contact the Committee Administrator as soon as possible.