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Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division

TWENTYSECOND MEETING

2007-2008 Regular Session - Tuesday, March 6, 2007

STATE OF MINNESOTA TWENTYSECOND MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-FIFTH SESSION

HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND
FINANCE DIVISION

MINUTES


Representative Tom Rukavina, Chair of the Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division, called the meeting to order at 12:35 P.M. on Wednesday, March 6, 2007, in Room 5 of the State Office Building.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

Members present:

Rukavina, Tom, Chair
Poppe, Jeanne, Vice-Chair
Bly, David
Brynaert, Kathy
Clark, Karen
Dettmer, Bob

Eastlund, Rob
Gunther, Bob
Haws, Larry
McFarlane, Carol
Mahoney, Tim
Moe, Frank
Murphy, Mary
Norton, Kim
Ruth, Connie
Severson, Dan
Slocum, Linda
Welti, Andy

Members excused:

Atkins, Joe
Hortman, Melissa
Nornes, Bud

A quorum was present.

Chair Rukavina invited Mary Bents, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Professional Programs, University of Minnesota, to speak on behalf of the Minnesota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Mary Bents, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Professional Programs, University of Minnesota, introduced herself and provided information regarding the Minnesota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Questions and discussion followed.

HF 358 (Dill)

Representative Slocum moved that HF 358 be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Representative Dill provided an amendment to HF 358, HO358A1.

Representative Slocum moved to amend HF 358 with amendment HO358A1, attached.

Minutes
Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division
March 6, 2007
Page Two


Representative Dill presented HF 358, appropriating money to the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities for the Cook County higher education project.

Representative Dill introduced Paula Sundet, Director, Cook County Higher Education Project.

Paula Sundet, Director, Cook County Higher Education Project, introduced herself and provided testimony in support of HF 358.

Representative Slocum renewed her motion to amend HF 358 with amendment HO358A1, attached. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Questions and discussion followed.

Representative Slocum renewed her motion that HF 358 be held over for possible inclusion in the Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division omnibus bill. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 118 (Fritz)

Representative Mahoney moved that HF 118 be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Representative Fritz presented HF 118, appropriating money for a grant to the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault.

Representative Fritz introduced Matt Drevlow, President, Paradise Center for the Arts.

Matt Drevlow, President, Pardise Center for the Arts, introduced himself and provided testimony in support of HF 118.

Questions and discussion followed.

Representative Mahoney renewed his motion that HF 118 be held over for possible inclusion in the Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division omnibus bill. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 461 (Solberg)

Representative Moe moved that HF 461 be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Representative Solberg presented HF 461, appropriating money for the Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids.

Representative Solberg introduced John Kelsch, Executive Director, Children's Discovery Museum in Grand Rapids.

John Kelsch, Executive Director, Children's Discovery Museum, introduced himself and provided testimony in support of HF 461.

Questions and discussion followed.

Representative Moe renewed his motion that HF 461 be held over for possible inclusion in the Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division omnibus bill. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 648 (Mahoney)

Representative Mahoney moved that HF 648, the first engrossment, be recommended to pass and be re-referred to the Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Division.

Minutes
Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division
March 6, 2007
Page Three



Representative Mahoney presented HF 648, relating to unemployment insurance; making various policy, housekeeping, and style changes to the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Law; incorporating certain administrative rules into Minnesota Statutes; modifying fraud penalties.

Lee Nelson, Director, Legal Affairs, Unemployment Insurance, Department of Employment and Economic Development, introduced himself and provided testimony regarding HF 648.

Questions and discussion followed.

Chair Rukavina requested, and the author agreed, to temporarily lay HF 648 over to take up HF 519.

HF 519 (Seifert)

Representative Dettmer moved that HF 519 be held over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Representative Seifert presented HF 519, appropriating money for the Minnesota Inventors Congress.

Representative Solberg introduced Deb Hess, Executive Director, Minnesota Inventors Congress.

Deb Hess, Executive Director, Minnesota Inventors Congress, introduced herself and Julie Roth, Member, Board of Directors, Minnesota Inventors Congress. Ms. Hess and Ms. Roth provided testimony in support of HF 461.

Questions and discussion followed.

Representative Dettmer renewed his motion that HF 519 be held over for possible inclusion in the Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division omnibus bill. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

Representative Mahoney continued his presentation of HF 648.

Representative Moe moved to amend HF 648, the first engrossment, with amendment HDA-051, attached.

Questions and discussion followed.

Representative Mahoney agreed to incorporate HDA-051 as a friendly amendment.

Representative Mahoney moved to amend HF 648, the first engrossment, with amendment A07-0179, attached.

Lee Nelson, Director, Legal Affairs, Unemployment Insurance, Department of Employment and Economic Development, provided testimony against amendment A07-0179.

Questions and discussion followed.

Representative Norton moved that the minutes of March 1, 2007 be adopted. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

Further questions and discussion followed.

Representative Gunther requested a roll call vote on the Mahoney amendment, A07-0179.

Representative Mahoney renewed his motion to amend HF 648, the first engrossment, with amendment A07-0179, attached.

Minutes
Higher Education and Work Force Development Policy and Finance Division
March 6, 2007
Page Four



Chair Rukavina temporarily laid HF 648 on the table, to be taken up again as soon as possible.

Chair Rukavina apologized to the Department of Labor and Industry for not getting to them today, and said they would be given another date as soon as possible to continue their presentation of their budget request.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:10 P.M.



Representative Tom Rukavina, Chair



Susan Scott, Committee Legislative Assistant
More Info On This Meeting..

HF358 (Dill) Cook County higher education project funding provided.
HF118 (Fritz) Faribault; Paradise Center for the Arts grant provided to provide handicapped accessibility.
HF461 (Solberg) Grand Rapids Children's Discovery Museum funding provided.
HF519 (Seifert) Minnesota Inventors Congress funding provided.
HF648 (Mahoney) making various policy, housekeeping, and style changes to the Minnesota unemployment insurance law
Continue budget overview of the Department of Labor and Industry

HF377 has been removed from the agenda.