STATE OF MINNESOTA TWENTY-EIGHTH MEETING
MN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY FIRST SESSION
EDUCATION FINANCE DIVISION
MINUTES
Representative Jim Davnie, Chair of the Education Finance Division, called the meeting to order at 9:45 am on March 27, 2019 in Room 5 of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
DAVNIE, Jim
SANDSTEDE, Julie
BENNETT, Peggy
DANIELS, Brian
DEMUTH, Lisa
DETTMER, Bob
EDELSON, Heather
ERICKSON, Sondra
HUOT, John
JURGENS, Tony
KOTYZA-WITTHUHN, Carlie
KUNESH-PODEIN, Mary
MARQUART, Paul
MURPHY, Mary
NORNES, Bud
PRYOR, Laurie
RICHARDSON, Ruth
SANDELL, Steve
YOUAKIM, Cheryl
Excused:
KRESHA, Ron
A quorum was present.
Rep. Erickson moved that the minutes from March 26, 2019 be approved. Motion prevailed.
HF 882 (Sandstede) Proposes to increase the basic formula allowance by three percent per year for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 and then links future increases in the basic formula allowance to the inflation rate, as measured by the consumer price index.
Rep. Sandstede moved that HF 882 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Rep. Sandstede presented HF 882.
Rep. Sandstede renewed the motion that HF 882 be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
HF 1190 (Sandell) Proposes to fully fund the concurrent enrollment aid formula.
Rep. Sandell moved that HF 1190 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Rep. Sandell presented HF 1190.
Rep. Sandell renewed the motion that HF 1190 be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
HF 1969 (Erickson) Appropriates $800,000 for a grant to Science from Scientists (a non-profit with a presence in Minnesota, Massachusetts, and California) for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs.
Rep. Erickson moved that HF 1969 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Rep. Erickson moved that the amendment to HF 1969, A1, be adopted by the committee. Motion prevailed.
Rep. Erickson moved that an oral amendment to HF 1969 be adopted by the committee; Page 1, line 19, item (c), delete “400,000” and insert “half”. Motion prevailed.
Rep. Erickson presented HF 1969, as amended.
Rep. Erickson renewed the motion that HF 1969, as amended, be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
HF 2110 (Lien) Modifies the age index for school districts that construct additional facilities but are still using the older facility space.
Rep. Huot moved that HF 2110 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Chair Davnie moved that the amendment to HF 2110, A1, be adopted by the committee. Motion prevailed.
Rep. Lien presented HF 2110.
Rep. Huot renewed the motion that HF 2110, as amended, be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
HF 2325 (Lee) Increases the base funding level to $51 million for fiscal year 2020 and modifies the growth factor to be the greater of the annual growth in statewide contact hours or the growth in the general education basic formula allowance.
Rep. Pryor moved that HF 2325 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Rep. Pryor moved that the amendment to HF 2325 be adopted by the committee. Motion prevailed.
Rep. Lee presented HF 2325, as amended.
Rep. Pryor renewed the motion that HF 2325, as amended, be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
Testifiers:
Dr. Michael McKenzie, Teacher, President of the White Bear Lake Education Association
David Law, Superintendent, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Bill Harvey, School Board Member, Anoka-Hennepin School District
Brandon Lunak, Superintendent, Moorhead Public Schools
Roger Aronson
Karlene French, Director, Science from Scientists
Craig Anderson, Principal, Battle Creek Elementary School
Susanna Huggenberger, Instructor, Science from Scientists
Karen Wolters, Literacy Action Network
Renada Rutmanis, Literacy Action Network, Adult Basic Education Supervisor – Minneapolis
Public Schools
Tamra Sieve, Minnesota Community Education Association
Heather Turngren, Teacher & Distance Learning Coordinator, Minneapolis Public Schools
Brad Hasskamp, Minnesota Department of Education
Additional Testifiers:
Jim Bartholomew, Minnesota Business Partnership
Brook Lafloe, People for PSEO
Khalique Rogers, College in the Schools (CIS)
The meeting of the Education Finance Division was recessed at 11:12 am.
The meeting of the Education Finance Division was reconvened to order at 6:45 pm in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building.
HF 1838 (Sandell) Proposes to increase the annual license fee from $75 to $100 for each school administrator. This bill also separates the special revenue account for school administrators from the special revenue account for teacher license fees.
Rep. Sandell moved that HF 1838 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Rep. Sandell presented HF 1838.
Rep. Sandell renewed the motion that HF 1838 be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
HF 366 (Kresha) The 2016 legislature appropriated $1,000,000 to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for grants to reward school districts that offered career and technical programming aligned with industry certificates. The state aid was set equal to $500 times the number of students in grades 9 to 12 who successfully completed one or more certificate. This bill proposes to extend the program’s existing funding for one more year.
Rep. Erickson moved that HF 366 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Rep. Erickson presented HF 366.
Rep. Erickson renewed the motion that HF 366 be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
HF 618 (Runbeck) Replaces the referendum revenue’s three tiers of equalizing factors with three different tax rates. The equalizing factor of $880,000 for the first tier (the first $300 per pupil of referendum) is converted to a tax rate of .03 percent. This change reduces the referendum levy (and increases the referendum aid) by about $12 million statewide. The second tier equalizing factor is $510,000. HF 618 converts this to a rate of .08 percent. This change reduces the referendum levy (and increases the aid) by about $1 million statewide. The third tier equalizing factor is $290,000. HF 618 converts this tier to a rate of .15 percent and reduces the referendum levy by about $20 million.
Rep. Erickson moved that HF 618 be presented before the committee; be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means with the recommendation it be re-referred to the Division on Taxes.
Rep. Runbeck presented HF 618.
Rep. Erickson renewed the motion that HF 618 be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means with the recommendation it be re-referred to the Division on Taxes. Motion prevailed.
HF 1907 (Nornes) Cancels the expected unused balance for two programs (PSEO dual enrollment/concurrent enrollment and Northwest Regional Partnership concurrent enrollment teacher training) and reappropriates the same amount that was canceled to the programs for the next biennium.
Rep. Nornes moved that HF 1907 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Rep. Nornes presented HF 1907.
Rep. Nornes renewed the motion that HF 1907 be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
The meeting of the Education Finance Division was recessed at 7:24 pm.
The meeting of the Education Finance Division was reconvened to order at 7:48 pm in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building.
HF 1735 (Davnie) Modifies a notice requirement, expands online PSEO opportunities, and increases the pupil transportation reimbursement from a maximum of 15 cents per mile to the rate allowed by the IRS, currently 58 cents per mile and extends the income limits for families eligible for the transportation reimbursement.
Chair Davnie moved that HF 1735 be presented before the committee; be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report.
Chair Davnie presented HF 1735.
Chair Davnie renewed the motion that HF 1735 be laid over for possible inclusion in a future division report. The bill was laid over.
Testifiers:
Dr. Anthony Kinkel, Board of School Administrators
Kate Lynne Snyder, Minnesota Department of Education
Fred Nolan, Executive Director, Minnesota Rural Education Association
Jeremy Kovash, Executive Director, Lakes Country Service Cooperative
Zeke Jackson, Executive Director - People for PSEO, Student - Little Falls Community High
School
Asiya Browne, Student, STEP Academy
Additional Testifiers:
Joe Nathan,
Rick Heller, Advocate
Brad Lundell, Schools for Equity in Education
The meeting was of the Education Finance Division was adjourned at 8:00 pm.
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Representative Jim Davnie, Chair
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Brittney Sunderland, Committee Legislative Assistant