Yesterday at the Capitol
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities presented the system’s $142 million biennial budget request before the House Higher Education Policy and Finance Committee yesterday afternoon. Trustee Michael Vekich told committee members that the Board’s legislative request of $142 million to cover inflationary costs and a tuition freeze is clear cut. “We are asking for resources needed to protect the quality of our programs so that our graduates are prepared to meet the needs of communities across the state,” Vekich said.
Chancellor Steven Rosenstone testified that all five bargaining units and both student associations, along with the 30 presidents and the Board of Trustees worked together through a consultative process to develop the budget request. Rosenstone said that everyone, including the Legislature, is responsible for delivering an extraordinary education to students that is affordable and accessible. Rosenstone went on to say that there is a shared responsibility to provide Minnesota with an educated citizenry and skilled workforce, as well as a need to protect affordability and the quality programs that are essential to serving students and communities across Minnesota.
Vice Chancellor for Finance Laura King explained to committee members that the MnSCU colleges and universities receive over 90 percent of their revenue from two principal sources, “…from the taxpayers of Minnesota in the form of state support, and tuition and fees.” King said, “The central tenet of our request is to get the right balance between the state’s investment and student tuition.” She went on to explain two trends; tuition revenue has increased while state support has decreased, and total revenue and total spending have remained around $7,200 per FYE (full year equivalent student) for the past ten years. Vice Chancellor King said that MnSCU would like to be able to get closer to a 50-50 split of state support and tuition.
Lori Voss, CFO at Minnesota West Community and Technical College and Jan Mahoney, CFO at Minnesota State University Moorhead, testified about the specific budget situations at their respective campuses and spoke about the importance of funding the $142 million request in order to protect programs and the ability to deliver those programs. Both CFO’s spoke about the tough decisions that are made every day on campus in order to balance the budget, while still providing a quality education to students.
Chancellor Rosenstone wrapped up the presentation by saying, “The decisions we make this session will have a direct impact on our ability to produce the workforce Minnesota needs in the next five years and for decades to come.”
Today at the Capitol
8:30 a.m.
Senate Education
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Charles W. Wiger
Agenda: S.F. 334-Johnson, A.: Childhood screening program vision screening requirement modification.
MDE report on Indian Education Working Group
S.F. 271-Chamberlain: Reading income tax credit modifications.
S.F. 278-Chamberlain: Childhood literacy provisions modifications
9:00 a.m.
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sarah Anderson
Agenda: Presentation on Contract Negotiation Process: Legislative Coordinating Commission Director Greg Hubinger
10:15 a.m.
House Agriculture Policy
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Paul Anderson
Agenda: HF475 (Quam): Sponsored agriculture education community experts allowed.
HF815 (Dill): Agricultural product motor vehicle weight limit permit requirements amended, and hauling product for use as a biofuel provided.
HF683 (Franson): Industrial hemp industry development provided for and regulated, industrial hemp research authorized, rulemaking required, possession of industrial hemp defense provided, Marijuana and Wild Hemp definitions modified, and money appropriated.
HF779 (Hamilton): Agriculture Research Education, and Technology Transfer Board established, and money appropriated.
12:15 p.m.
House in Session
12:45 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda: Special Presentation on American Indian Education Recommendations – Minnesota Department of Education
2:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs, Agriculture and Rural Development
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Dan Sparks
Agenda:
S.F. 472-Bonoff: High school career counseling services appropriation.
S.F. 736-Sparks: Telecommunications competitive market regulation for certain local exchange carriers.
S.F. 895-Sparks: Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) services and Internet protocol (IP)-enabled services regulation prohibition
2:45 p.m.
House Higher Education Policy and Finance Committee
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (MnSCU) and University of Minnesota – Presentations on Performance Funding Metrics Outcomes
Looking Ahead
Thursday, February 26
8:15 a.m.
House Education Innovation Policy
Room: Basement hearing room
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda:
HF859 (Kresha): Minnesota Council on Economic Education grant funding provided, and money appropriated
HF947 (Kresha): After-school community learning grant program established, and money appropriated
HF768 (Schomacker): Independent School District No. 402, Hendricks exempted from the general reciprocity agreement
HF724 (Bernardy): College concurrent enrollment program full funding provided
HF1075 (Erickson): Language excluding retired principals who serve as a substitute principal removed from continuing education requirements
8:30 a.m.
Senate E-12 Budget Division
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Charles W. Wiger
Agenda:
S.F. 564-Hoffman, J.: School lunch aid provisions modifications.
S.F. 163-Hoffman, J.: School district basic revenue formula allowance increase.
S.F. 541-Clausen: General education basic formula allowance increase and future annual inflationary increases authorization.
S.F. 558-Wiklund: School districts and cooperatives compensatory revenue to school sites allocation modification.
S.F. 398-Dziedzic: Collaborative urban educator recruitment and training programs appropriation
9:00 a.m.
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sarah Anderson
Agenda: HF488 (Knoblach) – Labor agreements and compensation plans ratified
10:15 a.m.
House Agriculture Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Rod Hamilton
Agenda: Presentation on the Farm Business Management Program
HF888 Kiel: Mentoring and farm business management program challenge grant funding provided, and money appropriated
HF348 Persell: Wolf depredation payment funding provided, and money appropriated
HF514 Fabian: Wolf and elk depredation payments funding provided, and money appropriated
11:00 a.m.
Senate in Session
12:45 p.m.
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jenifer Loon
Agenda: HF555 (Backer) Lakes County; funding to expand career and technical education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields provided, and money appropriated.
HF584 (Kiel) Mobile manufacturing lab program created, and money appropriated.
HF774 (Kiel) Online college in the high school operations enhanced, course offerings increased, additional online support to high schools in Minnesota provided, technology enhanced, and money appropriated.
12:45 p.m.
House Greater Minnesota Economic and Workforce Development Policy
Room: Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Bob Gunther
Agenda:
HF409 (Gunther) Centers for Independent Living grant funding provided, and money appropriated
HF519 (Gunther) Small business investment tax credit modified
HF809 (Gunther) Rural workforce system coordinators provided, reports required, rural workforce system coordinators and Minnesota youth program funding provided, and money appropriated
HF955 (Gunther) Entrepreneurial development funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated
HF808 (Gunther) Innovative business development public infrastructure grant funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated
2:00 p.m.
Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Budget Division
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Terri E. Bonoff
Agenda: Confirmation of Commissioner Larry Pogemiller – Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Update – Higher Education Career Advisors Pilot Project (HECAP)
S.F. 420-Saxhaug: Rural workforce system coordinators establishment and appropriation; Minnesota youth program appropriation.
S.F. 472-Bonoff: High school career counseling services appropriation (Depending Re-referral from the Jobs, Agriculture and Rural Development Committee).
Friday, February 27
11:00 a.m.
Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans, State Economist Dr. Laura Kalambokidis, and State Budget Director Margaret Kelly, will release the February Economic Forecast
Monday, March 2
10:15 a.m.
House Ways and Means
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Jim Knoblach
Agenda: Minnesota Management & Budget: Presentation of the February 2015 Budget and Economic Forecast
2:00 p.m.
Senate Jobs, Agriculture and Rural Development
Room: 112 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Dan Sparks
Agenda: Confirmation: Commissioner Clark Sieben, Department of Employment and Economic Development
S.F. 386-Jensen: Greater Minnesota business development public infrastructure grant program bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 763-Jensen: Greater Minnesota business development public infrastructure grant program bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 435-Schmit: Minnesota New Markets Jobs Ac
Bill Introductions
Please see the spreadsheet for the most recent higher education related bill introductions.
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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