Tag: 2019 Minnesota budget

House HHS Finance Division to hold public hearing on compromise budget package

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Friday at 8:30 a.m., the House Health and Human Services Finance Division will hold a public hearing to provide an informational overview of the Special Session Omnibus HHS Finance Bill. Non-partisan staff will review the contents of the bill’s articles and corresponding spreadsheets.

The hearing will take place in Room 200 of the State Office Building.

The bill and spreadsheet will be made available on the committee webpage here. A video livestream of the hearing is available here.

 

Minnesota House Expected to Approve New Budget for Higher Education

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA. — Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to approve a new higher education budget. The legislation was agreed to in a House/Senate conference committee earlier today.

“Minnesotans from all backgrounds deserve a fair shot at earning a quality post-secondary education,” said Rep. Connie Bernardy (DFL – New Brighton), Chair of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Division. “Working together, we have forged a bipartisan compromise that eases the financial burden on working families and students, expands eligibility for grants, and improves student health and safety.”

The higher education budget supports working families, reduces debt, expands opportunities for low income and nontraditional students, and improves health and safety on campus. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are 775,000 Minnesotans with student debt totaling $27.1 billion. Continue reading “Minnesota House Expected to Approve New Budget for Higher Education”

Statement from House Majority Leader Winkler on budget negotiations

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — The House, Senate, and Governor’s office concluded negotiations tonight without an agreement on budget targets. The Republican-controlled Senate has yet to make a substantial offer in negotiations.

House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statement:

“Republican tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy are robbing Minnesotans of economic success and opportunity. House DFLers are waiting for Senate Republicans to move from their destructive budget’s starting position, actually make an offer, and get serious about compromise. Tonight it looks like an extreme Republican tax position is holding up budget talks. We have put forward an honest budget that makes needed investments to improve the lives of Minnesotans. We’re continuing to wait for Senate Republicans to make a real effort at compromise.”

Here is the background information:

Budget and Tax Charts

Extreme Republican Tax Position

Income Inequality links_graphs

UPDATE: State Government Committee to hold public hearing this afternoon

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Co-Chair Michael Nelson (DFL – Brooklyn Park) will hold a joint House/Senate State Government Conference Committee this afternoon at 4:00 PM to go over sections of the budget on which the House and Senate agree.

WHAT: Meeting of the House/Senate Conference Committee on the State Government budget, HF 1935
WHO: Rep. Michael Nelson (DFL – Brooklyn Park), committee members
WHERE: Room G-23, Capitol
WHEN: 4:00 PM, Thursday, May 9

The House budget appropriates the full $6.6 million allocated by the Federal Government to improve Minnesota’s election security, accessibility, cybersecurity, and to modernize the statewide voter registration system. The Senate does not allocate any of the Federal money, leaving it on the table. Minnesota has four years to allocate and use the funds, a portion of which would be used on projects that could take four years to complete.

 

HHS Conference Committee to hold public hearing Thursday afternoon

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — The joint House/Senate Conference Committee tasked with developing a compromise state Health and Human Services budget will hold its next meeting today at 2 p.m. in Room 1200 of the Minnesota Senate Building. The committee, to be chaired by Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), will focus on services for people with disabilities, child and family services, including the Child Care Assistance Program, and the program integrity measures included in the House DFL’s budget.

WHAT: Meeting of the House/Senate Conference Committee on the Health and Human Services Budget, HF 2414. Discussion of Disability Services, Children and Families, and Operations and Program Integrity articles of the bill
WHO: Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), committee members
WHERE: Room 1200, Minnesota Senate Building, 95 University Ave W, Saint Paul
WHEN: 2 p.m. (or the call of the chair), Thursday, May 9

The House DFL HHS budget would help ensure that all Minnesotans can access the high-quality, affordable health care they deserve. It makes prescription drugs more affordable, ends taxpayer handouts to insurance companies, and expands coverage options and ensures care remains available for low-income Minnesotans. The budget also extends the funding mechanism for the state’s Health Care Access Fund, without which funding for over 1.2 million Minnesotans’ health care could be in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, in addition to over $1 billion in harmful cuts – including elimination of funding for the Child Care Assistance Program – the Senate Republican HHS budget relies on shifts, gimmicks, and $470 million in made-up savings that non-partisan fiscal staff cannot verify.

Higher Education Conference Committee Co-Chair Bernardy Announces Public Hearing

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — The joint House/Senate Conference Committee tasked with developing a compromise Higher Education budget will meet today, May 8 at 2:00 p.m. The meeting, chaired by Rep. Connie Bernardy (DFL – New Brighton), will include an overview of language that is the same or similar in both budgets and public testimony from Minnesota students, families, and teachers.

“Minnesotans from all backgrounds deserve the opportunity to earn a quality post-secondary education,” said Rep. Bernardy. “The House Higher Education budget fully funds a tuition freeze, expands eligibility for grants, and eases the financial burden on students and working families.”

WHAT: Public hearing of the House/Senate Conference Committee on the Higher Education budget, SF 2415

WHO: Rep. Connie Bernardy (DFL – New Brighton), committee members

WHERE: Room 123, Minnesota State Capitol

WHEN: Wednesday, May 8 at 2:00 PM

The House Higher Education budget freezes tuition at Minnesota’s two- and four-year public colleges and universities. As a result, tens of thousands of students would not pay one penny more in tuition for two years. The budget also increases financial support for working families by investing in the state grant program. Full-time students who are currently enrolled in the program would receive on average more than $400 in financial assistance per year, and more than 6,000 Minnesotans would become eligible for the first time.

The Senate Republican Higher Education budget doesn’t provide adequate funding for Minnesota colleges and universities. Colleges would have to increase tuition in order to close funding gaps. It doesn’t provide the resources needed to deliver the opportunities and support students currently receive. As a result, colleges and universities would be forced to cut student support, programming, outreach efforts, and research opportunities.

Jobs & Energy Conference Committee Co-Chair Mahoney to Hold Public Hearing Today

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Co-Chair Tim Mahoney (DFL-St. Paul) will hold a public hearing of the Jobs & Energy Conference Committee (HF 2208) today, at 1pm, in Room 10 of the State Office Building. The committee will consider adopting agreeable policy provisions.

WHAT: Public hearing of the Jobs & Energy Conference Committee
WHO: Rep. Tim Mahoney, committee members
WHEN: Today, May 8, at 1pm
WHERE: Room 10, State Office Building

The House DFL Jobs budget prioritizes and invests in Minnesota’s working families, protecting wages, and ensuring that Minnesotans no longer have to choose between work and caring for their child, a family member, or themselves.

Staff from the Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Department of Labor and Industry will be presenting to the committee on their relevant provisions in the budget.

Live audio of the hearing will be available here.

Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Conference Committee Co-Chair Poppe to Hold Public Hearing Today

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – The joint House/Senate Conference Committee on the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing budget (SF 2226) will hold a public hearing today, chaired by Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL – Austin). The public hearing will take place in Room 1100 in the Minnesota Senate Building at 12:30 PM. The committee will consider House-only and Senate-only provisions.

WHAT: Public hearing of the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Conference Committee
WHO: Rep. Jeanne Poppe, committee members
WHERE: Room 1100, Minnesota Senate Building, 95 University Ave W, St. Paul
WHEN: Today, May 8, at 12:30 PM

Individuals testifying today include Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho, Agriculture Commissioner Thom Peterson, Agriculture Deputy Commissioner Andrea Vaubel, Office of Broadband Executive Director Danna MacKenzie, and Dr. Beth Thompson from the Board of Animal Health.

You’ll be able to listen to live audio of the hearing here.