Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Legislative News and Views - Rep. Ben Lien (DFL)

Back to profile

Legislative Update - May 8, 2015

Friday, May 8, 2015
Greetings from the Floor,
 
Bills passed off the House floor this week were:
·         HF 1437 (Omnibus Agriculture Finance Bill)
·         SF 1816 (Changes to Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act)
·         SF 417 (Professional Engineer License Transfer Act)
·         SF 1218 (Revisor’s Technical Bill)
·         HF 1193 (School-Ages Child Care Programs Excluded from DHS Licensure)
·         SF 1499 (Extend Time Period to File Certificate of Approval for Cedar Lake Area Water and Sanitary Sewer District)
·         SF 1741 (Hospitals Must Provide Summary of Financial Assistance Policy)
·         HF 1556 (Hire a Veteran Month)
·         HF 450 (Military Spouses and Families Day)
·         HF 1036 (Physician Assistant Provisions)
·         HF 916 (Crow Wing County Auditor-Treasurer and Recorder Made Appointive)
·         HF 385 (Corrections to Uniform Limited Liability Company Act)
·         SF 1120 (Increased Penalties for Assaulting Minn. Security Hospital Employee)
·         SF 1265 (Individuals to Contract with Insurance Producer for Health Coverage)
·         HF 1357 (Marriage Dissolution Certificates Updates)
·         HF 1427 (District One Hospital Board Meeting Requirement)
·         SF 1406 (Omnibus Lands Policy Bill)
·         SF 997 (Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership Policy Minimum/Inflation Protection)
·         SF 1438 (Retired Workers’ Compensation Judges Provision Requirements)
·         HF 177 (Self-Service Storage Insurance)
·         HF 1695 (Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council Bill)
·         SF 1191 (Custody Factors Modified)
·         SF 462 (Health Care Providers to Give Information on Trisomy 13,18 and 21)
·         HF 1762 (Receivership of Nursing Homes; Uniform Home Care Bill of Rights)
·         HF 1535 (Omnibus Department of Human Services Policy Bill)
 
The Legislature is not meeting over the weekend nor are House and Senate Conference Committees meeting over the weekend.  I think it is important to note this as we have 10 days to complete all legislative work for the session and adjourn.  Joint House-Senate budget targets have not yet been set for the conference committees.  This is the first major step for conference committee work as the budget targets really dictate the overall shape and provisions of final budget bills.  Conference Committees have started meeting with reviews of the respective House and Senate bills, but still have much work to do.  This is all very concerning to me as the House, Senate and governor are still very far apart in terms of individual budget and policy goals.  I get a sense that the House Majority is behind on where they should be at this point in the session and the tension is beginning to build; not just on what the legislative bodies and governor want to accomplish, but also on whether we will be able to finish the session on time.  If we do not finish on time, this would require a special session to set a budget for the next two years and avoid a state government shutdown that would begin on July 1st.  I remain optimistic that House Republican leaders will set an aggressive schedule for next week and we will complete all of our work on time, but the clock is ticking.  Nobody wants to see a special session…or a state government shutdown.  There is no reason we would have to see a shutdown with such a large budget surplus.
 
 
Thank You for the Opportunity to Serve,
Ben