STATE OF MINNESOTA FOURTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SIXTH SESSION
VETERANS AFFAIRS DIVISION
MINUTES
Representative Koenen, Chair of the Veteran Affairs Committee, called the first meeting to order at 8:39 AM on Friday, February 27, 2009 in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
KOENEN, Chair
NEWTON, Vice-Chair
DETTMER, Republican Lead
DOTY
FAUST
OTREMBA
SANDERS
SEVERSON
Members excused:
LIEDER
MAGNUS
A quorum was present.
Representative Doty moved approval of the minutes from February 13, 2009. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE MINUTES WERE APPROVED.
Representative Dettmer moved HF671 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee.
HF671 (Dettmer) relating to veterans; eliminating the residency requirement for a complimentary state park pass for a veteran with total and permanent service-connected disability;
Rep. Dettmer explained HF671 to the committee.
Representative Dettmer renewed his motion that HF671 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Representative Severson moved HF557 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee.
HF557 (Severson) relating to state government; authorizing preferences in state procurement for veteran-owned small businesses and disabled veteran-owned small businesses;
Representative Severson explained HF557 to the committee and took questions from the members.
Representative Faust moves to amend HF557 as follows:
Page 1, Line 11 after the word "operated" insert "either"
Page 1, Line 13 delete the word "and" and insert "or".
THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Testifying in favor of HF557:
Mark Ellson, President, Minnesota Chapter Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB)
Linda Pomeroy, Customer Service Representative, Eagle Trucking, Forest Lake, MN, testified on behalf of her employer
Jerry Kyser, Chairman, United Veterans Legislative Council of Minnesota
Ralph Bartolotta, President, Division 21 real space management
Jim Rhodes, Legislative Director, Department of Administration
Kent Allin, Director, Material Management, Department of Administration
Representative Severson renewed his motion that HF557, be recommended to pass, as amended, and re-referred to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Representative Newton moved HF715 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee.
Representative Newton moves to amend HF715 as follows (
H0715DE1)
THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
HF715 (Newton) relating to state procurement; designating businesses owned by disabled veterans as targeted group businesses for purposes of awarding certain state and metropolitan agency contracts;
Representative Newton explained HF715 to the committee and took questions from the members.
Testifying on HF715:
Nancy Gertner, Self
Representative Newton renewed his motion that HF715 be recommended to pass, as amended, and re-referred to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Representative Doty moved HF905 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee.
HF905 (Doty) relating to the military; providing for acceptance of certain services by commissioner of military affairs;
Representative Doty moves to amend HF905 as follows:
Page 1, line 3, delete "commissioner of military affairs" and insert "adjutant general"
Page 1, line 8, delete "commissioner of military affairs" and insert "adjutant general"
THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Representative Doty explained HF905 to the committee and took questions from the members.
Testifying on HF905 was:
Colonel Eric Ahlness, Director, Governmental Relations, Minnesota National Guard
Mark McAfee, Legislative Relations, AFSCME Council 5
Representative Doty renewed his motion that HF905 be recommended to pass, as amended, and re-referred to the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.
The meeting adjourned at 9:59 AM.
___________________________________________
REP. LYLE KOENEN, Chair
___________________________________________
Mary M. Larson, Committee Legislative Assistant