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Week in Review: Feb. 17-21

By Lisa Kaczke
University of Minnesota officials present an overview of the university’s request for a $265 million funding increase during a Feb. 20 meeting of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee. (Photo by Michele Jokinen)
University of Minnesota officials present an overview of the university’s request for a $265 million funding increase during a Feb. 20 meeting of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee. (Photo by Michele Jokinen)

Lawmakers debated, rejected and tabled their first bill on the House Floor this week. HF20 would make data collected by the attorney general’s office classified as private only if it were truly data “on individuals.” After it failed to receive the 68 votes needed to pass, a motion to reconsider the bill prevailed and the bill was then tabled on a split-voice vote.

Crowds showed up to testify in several committee hearings this week. It was standing room only in the House Education Policy Committee Wednesday when a bill to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports in Minnesota was sent to the House Floor on a party-line vote.

Have a restful weekend before another busy week next week.

Here’s a look back at what happened over the last few days.
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Recent Dailies

Bipartisan proposal would provide $5 million for infrastructure grant program
By Margaret Stevens
Rep. Pete Johnson presents HF335 to the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee Feb. 20. The bill requests $5 million for the Greater Minnesota Business Development Public Infrastructure Grant Program. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) Bipartisanship raised its perhaps not-so-ugly head Thursday in the form of an economic development bill. Sponsored by Rep. Pete Johnson (DFL-Duluth), HF335 would appropriate...
House education panel approves bill to ban transgender athletes from girls' sports
By Brian Basham
A crowd forms outside a Capitol hearing room Feb. 19 ahead of a House Education Policy Committee hearing on HF12, a bill to restrict female sports team participation to biological females. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) A mile or so away from the State Capitol, the state high school girls’ hockey tournament got underway Wednesday. Up the hill, lawmakers were having an off-ice battle ov...
Stiffer fines, more jail time for fleeing police under bill that clears public safety panel
By Tim Walker
Shane Myre, president of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, testifies before the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee in support of HF340 that would establish new penalties for engaging in certain actions related to fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) High-speed pursuits are dangerous for everyone involved: an offender speeding away in a vehicle, a peace officer in pursuit, and bystanders in the wrong place at the wrong time....
Minnesota charities push effort to roll back e-pull tab restrictions
By Mike Cook
Tim Engstrom, communications director for the American Legion Department of Minnesota, speaks to the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division Feb. 19 in in support of HF733 that would remove restrictions on electronic gambling devices. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) A February 2023 ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals led to a law later that year to prohibit “open-all” electronic pull tabs. Native American tribal representatives arg...
Bill seeks funding to expand equine therapy for first responders
By Margaret Stevens
Lakeville Police Officer and veteran Nick Jacobson testifies Feb. 19 before the House workforce committee about his positive experience with equine experimental mental health therapy. Rep. Jon Koznick, left, sponsors HF261 to provide $500,000 for the therapy to further aid first responders suffering from job-related trauma and PTSD. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) During his first therapy session with a retired thoroughbred, Lakeville police officer Nick Jacobson was told: “You can lie to a therapist, but you can never lie to a horse.” ...
Veterans’ groups push for bill to use more gambling proceeds for infrastructure
By Mike Cook
Between 2019 and 2021 the Buffalo American Legion Post underwent a “massive capital improvement project.” The $400,000 project improved a dated event hall, fixed “almost unu...
House GOP seeks to roll back Minnesota's ethnic studies mandate
By Brian Basham
Crystal Johnson, a high school social studies teacher in Maple Grove and treasurer of the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies, testifies in opposition to HF29 before the House Education Policy Committee Feb. 18. Rep. Ron Kresha, left, is the bill sponsor. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) A set of education standards was controversial when enacted two years ago. They’re just as controversial now that their elimination is on the table. Rep. Ron Kresha (R-Littl...
Potential market value exclusion aims to lower child care costs
By Todd Abeln
Rep. Danny Nadeau presents HF633 to the House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee Feb. 18. The bill would create a new property tax exclusion for licensed in-home child care providers. (Photo by Andrew VonBank) Rep. Danny Nadeau (R-Rogers) is trying to alleviate the financial burden for licensed in-home child care providers. He sponsors HF633 that would establish a 50% market value...
House lawmakers target repeat offenders driving with revoked license
By Tim Walker
Sue Vanek testifies Feb. 18 before the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee in support of a bill to increase penalties and fines for repeat violators of driving without a valid license. Rep. Josh Heintzeman, left, sponsors the bill. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) Sue Vanek has been fighting for her daughter and granddaughter since Jan. 15, 2015. That’s the day her loved ones were in a car that was hit head-on near Brainerd by an unli...
Dammed if they do? Committee considers lifting hydroelectric restrictions in renewable energy law
By Rob Hubbard
Rachel Stuckey, executive director of the Minnesota Conservative Energy Forum, testifies Feb. 18 before the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee. Sponsored by Rep. Paul Anderson, left, HF75 would modify a renewable energy standard. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) Is hydroelectric power “renewable”? Minnesota law says that it is — up to a point. And that point is 100 megawatts. When, in 2023, the state began requiring that utilities d...
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Priority Dailies

Full House convenes for first time in 2025, elects Demuth speaker
By Tim Walker
DFL, Republicans convene with a quorum for the first time in 2025 session after agreeing to a power-sharing deal.
Walz proposes slimmed-down 2026-27 state budget, sales tax changes
By Tim Walker
This is an odd-numbered year, and so the Legislature is constitutionally required to craft a budget to fund the state government for the next two fiscal years. Gov. Tim Walz...

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