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

Transportation Finance and Policy Division

SEVENTEENTH MEETING

2019-2020 Regular Session - Thursday, March 7, 2019

STATE OF MINNESOTA SEVENTEENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY FIRST SESSION

TRANSPORTATION FINANCE & POLICY DIVISION
MINUTES

Representative Hornstein, Chair of the Transportation Finance & Policy Division, called the Seventeenth meeting to order at 12:52 P.M. on March 7th, 2019 in Room 10 of the State Office Building.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

Members present:

HORNSTEIN, Frank, Chair
TABKE, Brad, VC
TORKELSON, Paul, Lead
BERNARDY, Connie
ELKINS, Steve
HAUSMAN, Alice
KOEGEL, Erin
KOZNICK, Jon
MASIN, Sandra
NELSON, Michael
O’DRISCOLL, Tim
PETERSBURG, John
RUNBECK, Linda
WOLGAMOTT, Dan
YOUAKIM, Cheryl

Members excused: WEST, Nolan, HEINRICH, John, RICHARDSON, Ruth


Vice Chair Tabke called the meeting to order at 12:45pm. A quorum was present.

Representative Petersburg moved to approve the minutes of March 5th. THE MOTION PREVAILED.


Chair Hornstein moved that HF513 be laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Chair Hornstein joined Rep. Lislegard at the testifier table and the gavel was passed to Vice Chair Tabke.

HF513 (Lislegard) St. Louis; relating to transportation; designating a bridge in the city of Virginia as Tom Rukavina Memorial Bridge; appropriating money for utility relocation costs.

Rep. Lislegard introduced his bill.

Greg Frech, General Manager, Virginia Public, testified in support of HF513.

Vice Chair Tabke laid over HF513 for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.



HF286 (Hornstein, F.) Hennepin; relating to railroads; requiring a minimum crew size for certain rail carriers; imposing criminal penalties.

Representative Hornstein introduced his bill.

Philip Qualy, State Director, United Transportation Union, testified in support of HF286.

Dave Brown, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, testified in support of the bill.

Brian Hunstad, United Transportation Union, testified in support of the bill.

Cortney LeNeave, United Transportation Union, testified in support of the bill.

John Apitz, Messerli and Kramer/MN Regional Railroads Association, testified before the committee.

Sam Macedonio, Assistant Vice President for Labor Relations, BNSF Railroads, testified before the committee.

Lydia Bjorge, Executive Director for State Government Affairs, BNSF Railroads, testified against the bill.

Rod Doerr, Union Pacific Railroads, testified against the bill.

Michael Barron, Fletcher Sippel Law Firm, testified against the bill.

Bentley Graves, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, testified against the bill.

Kelsey Johnson, Minnesota Iron Mining Association, testified against the bill.

Steve Suppan, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, testified in support of the bill.

Clare Ruebeck, Citizens Acting for Rail Safety, testified in support of the bill.

Chair Hornstein moved to re-refer HF286 to the Committee on Ways and Means, and Representative Torkelson requested a roll call vote on the motion. The results are as follows:

ROLL CALL VOTE ON HF286:

HORNSTEIN, Frank, Chair AYE

TABKE, Brad, Vice Chair AYE

TORKELSON, Paul, GOP-Lead NAY

BERNARDY, Connie AYE

ELKINS, Steve AYE

HAUSMAN, Alice AYE

HEINRICH, John ABSENT

KOEGEL, Erin AYE

KOZNICK, Jon NAY

MASIN, Sandra AYE

NELSON, Michael AYE

O’DRISCOLL, Tim NAY

PETERSBURG, John NAY

RICHARDSON, Ruth ABSENT

RUNBECK, Linda NAY

WEST, Nolan ABSENT

WOLGAMOTT, Dan AYE

YOUAKIM, Cheryl AYE


With 9 Ayes, 5 Nays, and 3 Absences, THE MOTION PREVAILED.


Vice Chair Tabke moved to amend the minutes of March 5th to delete “A quorum was not yet present” after “to order at 12:45pm.” And insert “a quorum was present.” And to strike “A quorum was reached.” After “Chair Hornstein moved to refer HF932 as amended to the Committee on Ways and Means. THE MOTION PREVAILED.” THE MOTION PREVAILED.


Chair Hornstein recessed the meeting at 2:17pm.

Chair Hornstein reconvened the meeting at 8:02pm


HF1408 (Koegel, E.) Anoka; Peace officer citation issuance from work zone flagger report authorized, work zone use of wireless communications device prohibited, and penalties provided.

Chair Hornstein moved HF1408 as amended.

Representative Torkelson moved the H1408A6 Amendment.

Tom Ravn, Director of Innovative Construction, Minnesota Department of Transportation, answered questions about HF1408.

Representative Torkelson withdrew the H1408A6 Amendment.

Representative Torkelson moved the H1408A7 Amendment. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Representative Hornstein moved to re-refer HF1408 as amended to the Committee on Ways and Means. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

Chair Hornstein adjourned the meeting at 9:00pm.



Representative Frank Hornstein, Chair



Claire Steven, Committee Legislative Assistant

More Info On This Meeting..
Bills Added:
  • HF0513 (Lislegard) - Virginia; bridge designated as Tom Rukavina Memorial Bridge, utility relocation cost funding provided, and money appropriated.
  • HF0219 (Carlson) - Colocated freight rail and light rail transit liability limit applications amended.
  • HF0286 (Hornstein) - Rail carrier minimum crew size required, and criminal penalties imposed.
  • HF0895 (Hornstein) - State rail safety inspection program modified.
  • HF1408 (Koegel) - Peace officers authorized to issue citations based on report from work zone flagger, and penalties provided.
Documents:
House TV Video:
View Archive

01:04 - HF513 (Lislegard) Virginia; bridge designated as Tom Rukavina Memorial Bridge, utility relocation cost funding provided, and money appropriated.
09:16 - HF286 (Hornstein) Rail carriers minimum crew size required, and criminal penalties imposed.
The Division recessed.
Runs 1 hour, 22 minutes.
No video available of the reconvening.


Bills may be added.