STATE OF MINNESOTA SIXTEENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-FIRST SESSION
EARLY CHILDHOOD FINANCE AND POLICY DIVISION
MINUTES
Representative Pinto, Chair of the Committee, called the meeting to order at 8:04 am on March 14th, 2019 in Capitol Room 120.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
PINTO, Dave, Chair
KOTYZA-WITTHUHN, Carlie, Vice-Chair
FRANSON, Mary
BAHNER, Kristin
DEMUTH, Lisa
HEINTZEMAN, Josh
MORRISON, Kelly
PRYOR, Laurie
WAZLAWIK, Ami
Members excused:
WEST, Nolan
A quorum was present.
Representative Heintzeman moved that the minutes from March 12th, 2019 be approved. The motion prevailed.
HF1384 (Her) – Tribal organizations and Head Start programs background studies governed.
Representative Pryor moved that HF1384 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
Representative Her presented HF1384.
Testifier:
Gayle Kelly, Minnesota Head Start Association
Chair Pinto renewed the motion that HF1384 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report. The bill was laid over.
HF1382 (Richardson) – Charter schools authorized to provide special education deaf and hard-of-hearing services to students at early ages.
Representative Morrison moved that HF1382 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
Representative Richardson presented HF1382.
Testifiers:
Susan Lane-Outlaw, Metro Deaf School
Laura White, Advocate
Sara Klarstrom, Advocate
Mary Gilbert Dougherty, Saint Paul Public Schools
Chair Pinto renewed the motion that HF1382 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
HF1785 (Richardson) – Pupil Fair Dismissal Act amended, and pupil dismissals limited.
Representative Bahner moved that HF1785 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
Representative Bahner moved that the H17851 amendment be added to HF1785. The motion prevailed.
Representative Richardson presented HF1785, as amended.
Testifiers:
Susan Montgomery, Advocate
Amy Eelkema Baxter, Saint Paul Public Schools, Special Education
Brenda Burnside, Educators for Excellence
Dr. Bernadeia Johnson, Minnesota State Mankato, former Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent
Idil Abdull, Advocate
Marika Pfefferkorn, Solutions Not Suspensions
Chair Pinto renewed the motion that HF1785, as amended, be laid over for possible inclusion in and Early Childhood Division Report. The bill was laid over.
HF1653 (Hassan) – Northstar Care for Children child under the age of six benefits.
Rep Pryor moved that HF1653 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
Representative Hassan presented HF1653.
Testifiers:
Mary Bou, North American Council of Adoptable Children
Hannah Lider, Advocate
Lucy Favorite, American Indian Family and Children Services
Chair Pinto renewed the motion that HF1653 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report. The bill was laid over.
HF1582 (Youakim) – Parent-child home program funding provided, and money appropriated.
Representative Bahner moved that HF1582 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
Representative Youakim presented HF1582.
Testifiers:
Judy Halper, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota (JFCS)
John Smith, Promise Neighborhood of Central Minnesota
Kristi Murray, JFCS
Chair Pinto renewed the motion that HF1582 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
The meeting was recessed at 9:30 am.
Chair Pinto called the meeting to order at 5:56 pm in Room 400 North in the State Office Building.
HF2264 (Wazlawik) – Retaining early educators through attaining incentives now (REETAIN) grant program established, reports required, and money appropriated.
Representative Wazlawik moved that HF2264 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
Testifiers:
Ann McCully, Child Care Aware of Minnesota
Sharyl Kalal, Little Beginnings Child Care and Preschool
Chair Pinto renewed the motion that HF2264 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
HF2111 (Kotyza-Witthuhn) – Reach Out and Reach Minnesota program grant funding provided, and money appropriated.
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that HF2111 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
Representative moved the H2111A1 amendment be added to HF2111. The motion prevailed.
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn presented HF2111, as amended.
Testifiers:
Dr. Pamela Gigi Chawla, Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Chair Pinto renewed the motion that HF2111, as amended, be laid over for possible inclusion in an Early Childhood Division Report.
HF422 (Brand) – Child care in rural Minnesota funding provided, and money appropriated
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that HF422 be re-referred to the Health and Human Services Finance Division.
Representative Brand presented HF422.
Testifiers:
Scott McMahon, Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the Greater Minnesota Partnership
Nicole Griensewic Mickelson, Region Nine Development Coalition
Nancy Jost, West Central Initiative
Stacy Stout, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Cyndi Cunningham, Minnesota Child Care Provider Information Network (MCCPIN)
Molly Rieke-Hofschulte, Child Care Provider
Brittany Browning, Child Care Director
Elizabeth Bangert, Here We Grow
Jim Bartholomew, Minnesota Business Partners
Cisa Keller, Think Small
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn renewed her motion that HF422 be re-referred to the Health and Human Services Finance Division. The motion prevailed.
HF 423 (Brand) – Greater Minnesota child care facility grand program funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Representative Kotyza-Witthun moved that HF423 be re-referred to the Health and Human Services Finance Division.
Rep Kotyza-Witthuhn moved that the H0423A2 amendment be added to HF423. The motion prevailed.
Representative Brand presented HF423, as amended.
Testifiers:
Scott McMahon, Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the Greater Minnesota Partnership
Scott Marquardt, Southwest Initiative Foundation
Jennifer Bromeland, City of Eagle Lake
Cyndi Cunningham, MCCPIN
Molly Rieke-Hofschulte, Child Care Provider
Brittany Browning, Former Child Center Director
Elizabeth Bangert, Here We Grow
Representative Kotyza-Witthuhn renewed the motion that HF423, as amended, be re-referred to the Health and Human Services Finance Division.
Representative Franson moved that this Division request of the Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, that Carolyn Ham, DHS Inspector General, be issued a subpoena by the Committee on Ways and Means, to appear before the Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division on March 21, 2019, to answer questions regarding Child Care Assistance Program fraud, and management of the Child Care Investigations Unit.
Representative Heintzeman requested a roll call vote on Representative Franson’s motion.
Representative Pryor moved to table Representative Franson’s motion.
Representative Heintzeman requested a roll call vote on Representative Pryor’s motion to table.
The meeting was recessed at 7:58 pm.
Chair Pinto called the meeting to order at 8:11 pm.
Representative Pryor withdrew her motion to table.
Chair Pinto ruled the Franson motion out of order.
Representative Heintzeman issued a challenge to the ruling of the Chair.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:19 pm.
Representative Dave Pinto, Chair
Polly Cerkvenik, Committee Legislative
Assistant