STATE OF MINNESOTA NINETEENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-FIFTH SESSION
Committee on Agriculture, Rural Economies, and
Veterans Affairs Finance
MINUTES
Representative Al Juhnke, Chair, called the nineteenth meeting to order at 10:07AM on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 in Basement of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
JUHNKE, Al MAGNUS, Doug
WELTI, Andy OLIN, Dave
DOTY, Al OTREMBA, Mary Ellen
FAUST, Tim PETERSON, Aaron
FINSTAD, Brad POPPE, Jeanne
HAMILTON, Rod SHIMANSKI, Ron
HANSEN, Rick
HEIDGERKEN, Bud
A quorum was present.
HF 279 (Haws); a bill for an act relating to veterans; education; clarifying and slightly extending eligibility for educational benefits for certain surviving military spouses and children under the War Survivors Act; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 197.75.
Chair Juhnke moved that HF 279 be heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Finance Bill.
Representative Haws presented HF 279. Discussion and questions followed.
Clark Dyrude, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, testified on HF 279. Discussion and questions followed.
Representative Shimanski moved that the minutes of March 13, 2007 be adopted as corrected. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF 1140 (Faust); a bill for an act relating to agriculture; appropriating money for county and district agricultural societies and associations.
Representative Faust moved that HF 1140 be heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Finance Bill.
Jerry Schoenfeld, Minnesota Federation of County Fairs, testified on HF 1140. Discussion and questions followed.
HF451 (Jaros); a bill for an act relating to the military; providing reimbursement grants or pay for certain honor guard members; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 192; 197.
Chair Juhnke moved that HF 451 be heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Finance Bill.
Representative Jaros presented HF 451.
Clark Dyrude, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, testified on HF 451. Discussion and questions followed.
Chair Juhnke moved an oral amendment to HF 451 as follows:
Page 1, line 17, delete "$____" and insert "$30,000"
Page 1, line 17, after "appropriated" insert “in fiscal year 2008"
Page 1, line 18, delete “$____" and insert “$245,000"
Page 1, line 18, after “appropriated" insert “in fiscal year 2008"
Page 1, line 19, after the first period delete the remainder of the line
Discussion and questions followed.
THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Chair Juhnke renewed his motion that HF 451, as amended, be heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Finance Bill.
Chair Juhnke also moved that HF 451, as amended, be recommended to pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Finance with a recommended re-referral to the Committee on State Government Finance. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
SF 138 (Sviggum); a bill for an act relating to agriculture; requiring plant hazards evaluation and a report to the legislature.
Chair Juhnke moved that SF 138 be heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Finance Bill.
Chair Juhnke also moved that SF 138 be recommended to pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Finance with a recommended re-referral to be placed on the general register.
Representative Sviggum presented SF 138.
Representative Hansen moved an oral amendment to SF 138 as follows:
Page 1, line 7, before "evaluate" insert "and the University of Minnesota"
THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Discussion and questions followed.
Chair Juhnke renewed his motion that SF 138, as amended, be heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Finance Bill.
Chair Juhnke also renewed his motion that SF 138, as amended, be recommended to pass and be returned to the Committee on Finance with a recommended re-referral to be placed on the general register. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF 100 (Demmer); a bill for an act relating to agriculture; creating a farm enhancement loan program; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 41B.
Representative Finstad moved that HF 100 be heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Finance Bill.
Representative Demmer presented HF 100. Discussion and questions followed.
Representative Hansen moved an oral amendment to HF 100 as follows:
Page 2, after line 20, insert "subd.6. Report no later than February 1, 2009, the commissioner shall report on the loans granted under this section to the house and senate committees with jurisdiction over agricultural finance."
THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Finstad renewed his motion that HF 100, as amended, be heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus Agriculture, Rural Economies, and Veterans Affairs Finance Bill.
Quinn Cheney, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, clarified previous testimony from Jim Boerboom, Assistant Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, regarding the rural finance authority.
Next meeting: Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 10:00AM.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:47AM.
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Al Juhnke, Chair
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Dana Wilson, Committee Legislative Assistant