With Victoria Halvorson this week, a high school page who attends Maple Grove High School. It's always great to have students from our community come to the Capitol and learn more about state government and the legislative process!
In legislative-speak, an “omnibus” bill is a bill that contains multiple policy and spending items within a topical area. Just how do omnibus bills get created?
During the legislative committee process, many dozens of bills are given a hearing. Testimony is provided, and witnesses both for and against the bill are heard. The committee chair and committee majority then determine which of these individual bills will be included in a larger omnibus bill.
This week, these omnibus bills were debated on the House floor. You will recall that House Republicans put forth net zero budget spending targets, meaning there is no increase in spending from last year, as state government is fully funded through Fiscal Year 2017. We were, however, able to reduce spending in some areas and better utilize dollars in others.
These supplemental omnibus bills will now be the House's position as we enter final negotiations with the Senate before adjournment in May.
Here are highlights and key takeaways from the legislation that passed the House this week.
Education/Higher Education
On Monday, the House passed a bipartisan supplemental E-12 and Higher Education omnibus bill that re-invests $56 million of cost savings in programs that aim to improve student achievement, address the needs of educators in our schools and provide every child with a world-class education. The bill also helps rein in the cost of a higher education for students and increases post-secondary opportunities for Minnesotans with disabilities.
Here are some of key provisions in the bill:
- Uses the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments as an indicator to measure college readiness, helping to save students money on remedial college courses
- Jumpstarts fixes to our broken teacher licensure system
- Increases opportunities to expand the diversity of our teacher workforce
- Reduces the funding disparity between metro and non-metro school districts
- Protects educators and school staff, addressing immediate needs of educators and working toward long-term solutions to end violence in our classrooms
- Expands higher education opportunities for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities
- Implements innovative programs to help close the achievement gap
Jobs/Energy/Environment/Agriculture
On Wednesday, the House passed the Jobs, Agriculture and Environment supplemental budget bill that focuses on the basic needs of every day middle-class Minnesotans including clean water, broadband internet and workforce housing. Like the education omnibus bill, this legislation re-prioritizes existing spending to increase investments for other important priorities.
Here are some of the key provisions in the bill:
- Provides $40 million in new funding for broadband internet expansion for unserved and underserved areas of our state
- Reprioritizes unspent money from the avian flu emergency response and uses those dollars for livestock disease prevention and a farm safety pilot program
- Provides funding for lawsuits related to the PolyMet mining project, assuming either proponents or opponents will sue once the state decides on permitting and regulatory actions
- Provides for targeted workforce housing in Greater Minnesota
- Funds the completion of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System to provide clean water for people in Southwest Minnesota
Health and Human Services/State Government Finance/Public Safety
On Thursday, the House passed legislation that looks out for taxpayers and Minnesota families. From transitioning away from our broken health care exchange, MNsure, to helping parents save money on child care, our legislation is about doing right by the people of our state.
Here are some of the key provisions in the bill:
- Transitions MNsure to the federal exchange, and makes several key reforms including limiting the state's ability to make future estate claims, cutting the premium tax in half to reduce health care costs and establishing performance benchmarks for our health care exchange
- Captures waste, fraud and abuse in public programs and directs that money to increase rates for long-term and community-based caregivers
- Repeals child care unionization authority and creates reforms to address child care affordability for working parents
- Cuts pay for political appointees and politicians
- Eliminates non-essential travel for state employees
- Implements a state government hiring freeze
- Increases penalties for driving without a license that results in bodily injury and/or death
Peppin's MinnTriv
Thank you to everyone who participated in last week's Peppin's MinnTriv quiz!
"The pacemaker was invented in 1957 by Medtronic founder Earl Bakken in his garage" was the answer to our MinnTriv three-part question: What common medical device was invented in Minnesota in 1957? Who was the inventor? Where specifically was it invented?
Congratulations to Brian Benjaminson of Rogers who had the first correct response!
Here is this week's question, and once again, it is a three part quiz.
What is the name of the small village located adjacent to the city of Rogers?
For who is it named?
What is this person's claim to fame?
Reply to this email with your answers, and I'll share the winner of the Peppin MinnTriv question in my legislative update next week.
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As always, if you have any questions or concerns on an issue relating to state government, my office is available to help. My direct line is 651-296-7806. My email address is rep.joyce.peppin@house.mn and my mailing address is Room 459 State Office Building, 100 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55155.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Joyce
**Encourage your neighbors and friends to sign up for my email updates at www.house.mn/34A