**This legislative update was written by Elaine Keefe, library lobbyist for the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) and MEMO**
Received: Sun 3/9/2014 6:22 PM
A big thank you to everyone who attended Library Legislative Day last Wednesday. We had a terrific turnout. Some of the information I shared in my briefings on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning is repeated below for the benefit of those who could not attend. However, there are some new developments and they are listed first.
Telecommunications Equity Aid (HF 2696/SF 2167): Our bill will be heard in the House Education Finance Committee this Tuesday, March 11 at 8:15am in Room 10 SOB. Chief author Rep. Kathy Brynaert (DFL – Mankato) will present the bill. Mary Mehsikomer and Marc Johnson will testify. Our Senate author, Senator Tom Saxhaug (DFL – Grand Rapids) has requested a hearing.
Library Accessibility and Improvement Grants (HF 1501/ SF 1473): The House Capital Investment Committee will hear an overview presentation on Library Accessibility and Improvement Grants from MDE and also a presentation on the Perham Library on Tuesday, March 11 at 8:15am in Room 200 SOB.
Governor’s Budget: Governor Dayton released his budget on Thursday. He is proposing $616 million in tax cuts, adding $455 million to the budget reserve, and $162 million in “essential expenditures.” The only item in the K-12 budget is $3.5 million for school lunches. The only higher education items are general operating increases of $17 million for MnSCU and $5 million for the University of Minnesota.
Here is a link to the budget press release, which includes a link to the budget documents: http://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/pressreleasedetail.jsp?id=102-117142
Data Privacy: We are following two bills of interest.
HF 2138, introduced by Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, requires that by January 1, 2020, any database maintained by a government entity that contains private or confidential data must have the capacity, within each individual record, to track the identities of users who access the data, including the date and time the data were accessed and the purpose for which the access occurred. This is problematic for library patron records systems. The bill is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, March 12 in the House Civil Law Committee at 8:15am in Room 200 SOB. Please let me know if you are interested in testifying.
HF 2167 / SF 1770 is the bill that requires vendors handling confidential data to abide by the data practices act as if it were a government entity, regardless of whether the contract includes notice of this requirement. We support this bill. It was heard last Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It passed and was re-referred to the State and Local Government Committee. The House companion was heard on Wednesday in the House Civil Law Committee. It passed and was sent to the floor.
Pay Equity (HF 2373 / SF 1806): MLA is a longtime member of the Pay Equity Coalition. This year the Coalition is backing a bill requiring employers that hold state contracts to comply with pay equity. This is similar to the requirement that they have an affirmative action plan. The bill passed the House Government Operations Committee last Wednesday evening and was re-referred to the House Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee, where it is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, March 12 at 8:15am in the Basement Hearing Room of the SOB.
State Economic Forecast: The forecast was released on Friday, February 28. The state has a projected surplus of $1.23 billion. The Governor and the House have said that tax cuts are their highest priority. Not coincidentally, they are both up for re-election this fall. The Senate majority, which is not up for re-election until 2016, has said their top priority is building up the state’s budget reserve. The surplus is large enough that they should be able to do some of each.
Elaine Keefe
Capitol Hill Associates
525 Park Street, Suite 310
St. Paul, MN 55103
office 651-293-0229
cell 612-590-1244
elaine@capitolhillassoc.com
