Yesterday at the Capitol
The Senate and House higher education committees met yesterday afternoon in a joint session to make recommendations to the full House and Senate on the five open seats on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. In an unprecedented move, the joint committee voted to recommend two nominees, instead of one, for two of the five open seats. The action occurred after nominees in the first and third congressional districts did not receive a majority vote from both the House and Senate committees. Regents serve six-year terms, and terms are staggered with one-third of the board up for election every two years.
The nominees that will be forwarded to the full body in the House and Senate are:
- First Congressional District: Randy Simonson and Patricia Simmons (incumbent)
- Third Congressional District: Paula Prahl and Michael Belzer
- Fourth Congressional District: Richard Beeson (incumbent)
- Sixth Congressional District: Michael Tsu
- Seventh Congressional District: Thomas Anderson
Today at the Capitol
Today is Bemidji Day at the Capitol 2015
8:15 a.m.
House Aging and Long-Term Care Policy
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joe Schomacker
Agenda: Long-Term Care Workforce Presentation and Loan Forgiveness Overview – Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Minnesota Department of Health.
HF3 (Schomacker): Nursing facility employee scholarship costs modified, long-term care savings plan provided, income tax subtraction for contributions made to the long-term care savings plan provided, credit provided for the additional tax paid on early withdrawals from retirement accounts if used for long-term care expenses, and money appropriated
HF627 (Franson): Nursing facility employee scholarship costs modified, health professionals eligible for the health professional education loan forgiveness program expanded, and money appropriated
HF614 (Baker): Long-term care workforce needs provided, and money appropriated
10:15 a.m.
House Government Operations and Elections Policy
Room: Basement hearing room State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tim Sanders
Agenda: HF 337 (Sanders): Campaign finance and public disclosure board provisions modified; enforcement, registration, fees, data, contributions, statements of economic interest, and other provisions administered by the board modified; penalties provided; and technical changes made
HF172 (Lesch): Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act enacted, and conforming changes made
HF488 (Knoblach): Labor agreements and compensation plans ratified
12:45 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda: HF226 – (Halverson): School readiness program funding increased, and money appropriated.
HF318 – (Loon): Parent-child home program funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF568 – (Wills): Minnesota Reading Corps program funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF674 -(Bernardy): Minnesota reading corps program funding increased, and money appropriated.
2:00 p.m.
Senate State and Local Government
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Patricia Torres Ray
Agenda: S.F. 5-Bonoff: Workforce development; employees dual training competency grants program development and appropriation.
S.F. 247-Nelson: Alzheimer’s and other dementias research grants and programs; Alzheimer’s research advisory council establishment; appropriating money.
S.F. 336-Pappas: State employees assaulted by inmates and patients health insurance
coverage continuation.
S.F. 175-Hayden: Regional emergency medical services program grants procedures and administration modification.
S.F. 421-Wiklund: Garbage collection home rule charter cities assessment clarification.
2:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs, Agriculture and Rural Development
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Dan Sparks
Agenda: Confirmation – Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development, Katie Clark Sieben
S.F. 420-Saxhaug: Rural workforce system coordinators establishment and appropriation; Minnesota youth program appropriation
2:45 p.m.
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Overview of the Private Colleges and Universities in Minnesota
Looking Ahead
Thursday, February 12
8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
Room: Basement Hearing Room State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: HF500 (Bennett): List of offenses authorizing a denial or revocation of a teaching license by the Board of Teaching or Board of School Administrators expanded
HF217 (Selcer): 9th and 10th grade students authorized to enroll in concurrent enrollment world language courses
HF638 (Whelan): State math standards statutory review postponed
HF2 (Loon): Teacher licensure and employment conditions clarified; alternative teacher licensure amended; teacher licensure reciprocity with adjoining states provided; license via portfolio, exemption for technical education instructors, teachers’ unrequested leaves of absence and teaching assignments decisions, and teacher examination requirements clarified; and placing students with ineffective teachers prohibited
8:30 a.m.
Senate E-12 Budget Division
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Charles W. Wiger
Agenda: MDE reports on testing and teacher evaluation
11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session
2:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Terri E. Bonoff
Agenda: Overview – Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on the University of Minnesota Medical School
Office of Higher Education – Blue Ribbon Commission Report (PDF)
Overview – Gearing up for Action: Mental Health Workforce Plan for Minnesota
Overview – Legislative Health Care Workforce Commission
S.F. 3-Clausen: Rural mental health professionals, public health nurses, dental
therapists and advanced dental therapists education loan forgiveness
program addition and appropriation.
3:30 p.m.
House in Session
Thank you.
Melissa Fahning
Director of Legislative Communications
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
651-201-1757 (work) 612-483-3741 (cell)
melissa.fahning@so.mnscu.edu
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