SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House approved HF 1947, a bill authored by Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth), updating the enabling law for the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC).
“Drawing people to Duluth for conventions and meetings, serving as the home for UMD Bulldog hockey, and much more, the DECC is an economic engine for northern Minnesota,” Rep. Olson said. “As the facility has evolved over the years, so too must the DECC’s operating language in law to better reflect modern times. These changes will modernize the law to be more in line with business standards and accurately reflect the business operations of the DECC.”
Since the DECC was formed as a state entity in 1963, the law has only been updated once, back in 1998. The bill updates titles for board officers, updates the DECC’s fiscal agent, clarifies that the operating fund can be used for marketing, and updates pronouns throughout the law to be gender-neutral. It also increases the threshold for required competitive bidding or required DECC authorizations of contracts to more than $50,000.
The bill now goes to the Minnesota Senate for its consideration. Additionally, the measure is included within the House’s State Government Finance budget bill.
Video of today’s House Floor session will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.