Greetings from the Floor,
The Higher Education Omnibus bill passed out of the Higher Education Committee on Wednesday. The bill included:
· $53 million in new appropriations and $53 million repurposed from the State Grant program to fund the Minnesota State College and University (MnSCU) system. This funding would pay for a tuition freeze the first year of the biennium and 1% tuition cut the second year at all MnSCU two-year schools. This would also fund a tuition freeze the second year of the biennium at all MnSCU four-year schools (an anticipated 3% tuition increase would occur the first year of the biennium at MnSCU four-year schools).
· Requirement that all teacher preparation programs provide a school-year long student teaching component
· Establishment of a student loan forgiveness program for teachers who work in parts of the state deemed to have a shortage of teachers by the Minnesota Department of Education
· Prohibits state colleges and universities from requiring remedial courses if a student receives an ACT score in any given subject area that qualifies the student to be college ready in that subject area
· Various provisions related to credit transfers between MnSCU schools and policies to help students complete programs in a timely manner at both MnSCU and University of Minnesota schools
· Requirement that all MnSCU and University of Minnesota schools take additional measures to respond to sexual violence and assaults on campuses
I did not vote for the Higher Education bill in the committee. I am very frustrated that it does not do more to address tuition and student debt. With a $1.87 billion budget surplus, I do not see any reason why we should not adequately fund higher education. I think House leadership missed an incredible opportunity to continue the progress on tuition relief started last session and to prepare the future of our state’s workforce to keep our healthy economy going strong. The repurposed funding from the State Grant program is a result of lower than projected student enrollment. The surplus dollars in the State Grant program could have otherwise gone to increase allocations to individual students and expand pro-rated grant dollars to part-time students at all higher education institutions (currently only part-time MnSCU students are eligible for the pro-rated grant dollars). Again, with a $1.87 billion surplus I do not see any reason why money should be repurposed from the State Grant program. We need to focus on tuition and student debt relief in every way we can. Complete tuition freezes (at all MnSCU and University of Minnesota campuses) and State Grant dollars do this. The ultimate goal of higher education needs to be getting a handle on the rising cost of education; however, the immediate goal needs to be tuition and student debt relief. I do not believe that the Omnibus Higher Education bill does either.
Today, the Property Tax and Local Government Division Report was passed out of the division. It will now go on to the full House Tax Committee to be voted on for inclusion in the Omnibus Tax bill. Major provisions of the bill are:
· Ongoing funding for the Border City Enterprise and Development Zone program at $1 million per year
· 50% credit on agricultural property taxes for school bond levies
· Reduction and eventual phase out of the state general levy on commercial/industrial and seasonal/recreational properties
· Cuts to Local Government Aid funding to the cities of Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul
· Creation of accounts from LCCMR and Legacy funding for PILT payments to counties for land acquired through those programs
· Repeal of the political Contribution Refund program
· Various provisions related to reverse referendums on local governments’ budgets and leases with Housing Redevelopment Authorities, Economic Development Authorities and Port Authorities
After about 17 hours of committee hearings (including over 9 hours on Wednesday alone in a meeting that ran until midnight), I did vote for the division report. Although there are several provisions I do not agree with, I feel it is very important that funding for the Border City Enterprise and Development Zone program becomes permanent. This would position Moorhead, and the other 4 cities included in the program, to make significant economic development investments into our community. We are, of course, at a time when our region is receiving a lot of attention for economic development as a result of the North Dakota oil boom. I see this as an instance where the oil boom presents a real opportunity for Minnesota and we need to position ourselves as best we can to take every advantage possible.
Bills passed off the House floor this week were:
· HF 372: Notice of Firearms at Capitol Complex Modified
o Currently, folks have to notify the Commissioner of Public Safety of their intent to carry a firearm at the capitol complex. People do not have to give notification as to the specific time they will carry an arm to the capitol complex, there aren’t any specific forms of notification required, people do not have to prove that they possess a valid carry permit nor is there an expiration date for the notice. Under HF 372, obtaining a carry permit constitutes notice of intent to carry at the capitol complex. The notice would presumably expire when the carry permit expires (after 5 years).
· HF 830: Allows for rifles to be purchased and sold out of state by Minnesota residents and Minnesota firearms retailers
· HF 1434: Repeals the ban on suppressors (silencers)
· HF 722: Restricts law enforcement from confiscating all types of weapons and ammunition during a state emergency, as declared by the governor. Also provides for an expedited court process for the return of confiscated items.
· HF 2225: Avian Influenza Emergency Response Activity Funding Provided and Money Appropriated
I voted for all of these bills except HF 1434. The most noteworthy argument I heard for allowing the use of suppressors was that it protects the hearing of recreational shooters. However, proper ear protection provides the same effect for shooters as suppressors. I also feel that it is important for people to know when shots are fired, whether in hunting or instances of personal protection. I view this as a public safety issue. If I was nearby a situation where an arm was fired for personal protection, I would want to hear it so that I or others in the vicinity could notify the proper authorities.
The final deadline for committee work is next Friday. From the individual committees, omnibus committee finance bills have to go to the Ways and Means Committee before they go to the House floor. The Ways and Means Committee essentially has to reconcile all the spending bills before debate and a vote by the full House. All committees on which I sit have completed work on bills for the session (although some special meetings may still get called). We are scheduled to hear the first omnibus finance bill on Tuesday next week with the Transportation bill.
Thank You for the Opportunity to Serve,
Ben