The following legislative update was written by Elaine Keefe, library lobbyist for the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) and Information Technology Educators of MN (ITEM).
Received Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Today Speaker-designate Kurt Daudt announced the new House committee structure and chairs. Of greatest interest to MLA and ITEM are the following appointments:
Education Finance: Rep. Jenifer Loon (R – Eden Prairie)
The following legislative update was written by Elaine Keefe, library lobbyist for the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) and Information Technology Educators of MN (ITEM).
Received Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 4:35 pm
Statewide Races: Last night Governor Dayton was re-elected with just over 50% of the vote. It is the first time since 1994 that a Minnesota governor was elected with more than 50% of the vote. Attorney General Lori Swanson and State Auditor Rebecca Otto were re-elected and Steve Simon was elected Secretary of State, completing a DFL sweep of the state constitutional offices.
Minnesota House of Representatives: Republicans picked up 11 seats and won a 72-62 majority in the House. No Republican incumbents were defeated. 11 DFL incumbents were defeated. 10 of those who were defeated represented Greater Minnesota. 6 of them were in their first term.
The incumbents who were defeated are:
Rep. Roger Erickson (DFL – Baudette)
Rep. Joe Radinovich (DFL – Crosby)
Rep. John Ward (DFL – Baxter)
Rep. Tim Faust (DFL – Hinckley)
Rep. Jay McNamar (DFL – Elbow Lake)
Rep. Zach Dorholt (DFL – St. Cloud)
Rep. Andrew Falk (DFL – Murdock)
Rep. Mary Sawazky (DFL – Willmar)
Rep. Patti Fritz (DFL – Faribault)
Rep. Shannon Savick (DFL – Wells)
Rep. Will Morgan (DFL – Burnsville)
Contact Your House Member: Now is the ideal time to send a friendly note congratulating your House member on being elected or re-elected. Offer to be a resource to him or her on any library issues. You can find contact information for all new and returning House members in a directory posted on the House website: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/leginfo/elecdir14.pdf
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
Image by Fibonacci Blue. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
For your convenience, here is a recap of the last legislative session written by Elaine Keefe, our MLA/MEMO lobbyist representing our library and school media issues at the State Capitol.
On July 7, 2014 at 3:59 p.m., Elaine writes…..below is a summary of the 2014 legislative session affecting libraries. Most of this information has appeared in previous reports. This summary will enable you to have all of it in one place.
Library Construction Grants: Library Accessibility and Improvement Grants were re-named Library Construction Grants, and $2 million was provided in the bonding bill for these grants. This is the most that we have ever received for this grant program (in the 2010 legislative session the Legislature allocated $2 million, but the funding was line-item vetoed by Governor Pawlenty). The bonding bill also clarifies that renovation includes remediation of conditions hazardous to health or safety, and includes three earmarks: $570,000 for the Jackson County Library, $257,000 for the Perham Library and $50,000 for the Bagley Library. In a separate appropriation, the city of Cosmos received $600,000 for a new municipal building that will include the public library.
Telecommunications Equity Aid (TEA): The MLA/MEMO platform asked for an increase of $6 million in TEA. We had excellent hearings on our bill in both the House and Senate. The House Education Finance Committee included a $5 million increase for TEA in its budget bill. However, the Senate provided no increase, and neither did the final omnibus supplemental budget bill. The top priority for the House was an increase in the general education formula, while the Senate’s top priority was funding for early childhood programs. In the end, there was simply not enough money, and TEA was left out of the final bill. I do think we did a good job
Library Services Task Force: A proposal by MDE to create a task force passed, except that the language was changed to require the commissioner to consult with various stakeholders, including representatives of MDE, regional public library systems, multi count, multitype library systems, public libraries in the metro area and Greater Minnesota, library media specialists, the Office of Higher Education, the Association of Minnesota Counties and the League of Minnesota Cities. They are charged with looking at “increasing service delivery and collaboration between library governance systems, options for changing current library procedures and library governance systems to increase collaboration between library systems, and ensuring equitable and cost-effective access to library services statewide.” A report must be issued by February 1, 2015.
E-Books: The MLA/MEMO platform asked the state to investigate the wide variance in pricing for e-Books for libraries as compared to individuals, and to explore possible remedies. This will be addressed in the Library Services Task Force mentioned above. The charge states that “In addition to addressing physical library services, the commissioner also must consider how to increase access to emerging electronic services.”
Exception to the 20 Hour Minimum: The Legislature passed a provision authorizing MDE to grant a public library an exception to the requirement that it be open at least 20 hours per week to receive Regional Library Telecommunication Aid if requested by the regional library system for one of the following reasons:
1) short term closing for emergency maintenance and repairs following a natural disaster
2) in response to exceptional economic circumstances
3) building repair or maintenance that requires public areas to be closed
4) to adjust public service hours to respond to documented seasonal use patterns
This was proposed by MDE in its education policy bill after it was recommended by the regional public library systems.
General Education Formula: The general education formula will increase by $25 per pupil. This is the primary source of funding for school library media programs.
Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grants: $20 million in one-time funding was provided to the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for grants to expand broadband to unserved and underserved areas. Eligible applicants include businesses, local governments, nonprofits, Indian tribes, cooperatives and LLCs formed for the purpose of expanding broadband access. Among many factors that the Department of Employment and Economic Development may consider in prioritizing applications is whether the applicant will “offer new or substantially upgraded broadband service to important community institutions including, but not limited to, libraries, educational institutions, public safety facilities and healthcare facilities.”
Data Privacy: A bill was passed requiring vendors handling confidential government data to abide by the data practices act as if it were a government entity, regardless of whether the vendor’s contract includes notice of this requirement. We supported the bill, which was introduced in response to a Minnesota Supreme Court decision in the Timberjay case, where the court ruled that the vendor was not obligated to follow the data practices act unless it was specified in the contract.
Maintenance of Effort (MOE): As part of Governor Dayton’s unsession effort to repeal outdated laws, MDE proposed to repeal most of the library MOE language in 134.34 and replace it with a cross reference to the language in the 2011 tax bill that reduced all MOE requirements to 90% of the 2011 amount and froze them at that level permanently. While MDE saw this as merely clearing out obsolete language, we had hoped that eventually we could undo the freeze and return to the previous law, which would be far more difficult to accomplish if the language in 134.34 were repealed. After I testified against this provision in both the House and the Senate, and many of you contacted your legislators to express concern, MDE agreed to withdraw the language on the condition that we agree to work with them over the interim to come up with an agreement for the 2015 legislative session.
Tax Bill: Three provisions of interest to public libraries were included in the final tax bill:
1) The deadline for cities and counties to certify their levies is changed from September 15 to September 30.
2) Local government aid is increased by $7.8 million. A House proposal to index LGA to inflation was NOT adopted.
3) A sales tax exemption was adopted for building materials purchased and donated by a private entity for construction of an addition to a city library facility before July 1, 2015. This is intended to benefit the Marshall Library.
2015 Legislative Session: The 2015 legislative session begins on January 6, 2015.
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
TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: May 19, 2014
SUBJECT: 2014 Legislative Session Wrap Up
Here is an update on laws passed in the 2014 legislative session that impact libraries.
Omnibus Capital Investment – Library Construction Grants
A $2 million appropriation will support library construction grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 134.45. The law also clarifies that renovation projects may include remediation of conditions hazardous to health or safety. Of the total appropriation, specific funds were allocated for grants to three cities for library projects: $570,000 to the city of Jackson, $257,000 to the city of Perham and $50,000 to the city of Bagley. State Library Services is in the midst of streamlining and revising the Library Construction Grant application process, and anticipates announcing the timeline for a competitive grant ground in June.
Education Policy – Regional Library Telecommunications Aid
Article 7 Section 1 amends Minnesota Statutes, section 134.355 Subdivision 8 to allow for exceptions to the minimum open hours requirement for regional library telecommunications aid. Applicants may now request exceptions to the open 20 hour per week requirement for short-term closings for emergency maintenance and repairs following a natural disaster, in response to exceptional economic circumstances, building repairs or maintenance that requires public services areas to be closed or to adjust hours of public service to respond to documented seasonal use patterns. We anticipate that this change will streamline the application and reporting process and ensure that libraries have reliable access to necessary funds even when the unexpected happens. State Library Services will be adapting 2014 Regional Library Telecommunication Aid reporting documents to reflect the change, and work with aid recipients to ensure that the new provisions are well understood.
Education Policy – Libraries and Service Delivery
Article 7 Section 2 directs the commissioner of the Department of Education to consult with representatives from a number of library and governmental organizations on ‘options for changing current library procedures and library governance systems to increase collaboration between library systems, ensuring equitable and cost-effective access to library services statewide.’ In addition to access to physical services, the commissioner must consider how to increase access to emerging electronic services. This provision is effective immediately and a report to the education policy and finance committees is due by February 1, 2015.
State Library Services will be reaching out over the next few weeks to identify people interested in serving on the task force. If you would like more information about the task force, or are interested in participating, please contact Jennifer Nelson, State Librarian, Jennifer.r.nelson@state.mn.us or Kevin McHenry, Assistant Commissioner, kevin.mchenry@state.mn.us.
The following legislative update was written by Elaine Keefe, library lobbyist for the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) and MEMO/ITEM. Updates are included here by date in ascending order, (oldest to newest)
Received Friday, May 2, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Budget Targets: Yesterday legislative leaders agreed on targets for the supplemental budget bill and the tax bill, so now negotiations on these bills will be getting serious. Senate Majority Leader Bakk and Speaker Thissen have set a deadline of Sunday night for the supplemental budget conference committee to finish its work. If you have not yet contacted the conferees to urge them to support the House position to increase funding for telecommunications equity aid (TEA), please do so today.
Omnibus Education Policy Bill (HF 2397): The conference committee finished the bill last night. As I reported on Wednesday, the bill includes the library services task force and the provision allowing MDE to make limited exceptions to the requirement that public libraries be open a minimum of 20 hours per week to receive Regional Library Telecommunications Aid.
Library Construction Grants: This morning the Senate bonding bill was unveiled in the Senate Capital Investment Committee. It includes $1 million for Library Construction Grants. The House bill, which was unveiled weeks ago, includes $3 million.
Omnibus Supplemental Budget Bill: The conference committee met over the weekend but did not reach agreement, despite a directive from legislative leaders to finish the bill by Sunday night.
Library Construction Grants: This morning the House Ways and Means Committee passed a revised version of the bonding bill. Rep. Hausman was forced to cut $40 million from projects that were funded in the bill that passed out of the House Capital Investment Committee a month ago in order to accommodate an agreement by legislative leaders to fully fund the restoration of the Capitol at $126.3 million. I am happy to report that the new bill still includes $3 million for Library Construction Grants. The new bill does not include earmarks for the libraries in Perham and Jackson County. The bill passed and was sent to the House Rules Committee, its last stop before the floor.
Yesterday I reported that the Senate bonding bill included $1 million for Library Construction Grants. The bill also includes language identical to that in the House bill clarifying that “Renovation may include remediation of conditions hazardous to health or safety” and changes the name of the program to Library Construction Grants. Finally, it includes a $50,000 appropriation to the Bagley Public Library for renovation. The $50,000 is a separate appropriation — it does not earmark funds within the $1 million for Library Construction Grants.
Omnibus Supplemental Budget Bill: Negotiations on the budget bill were dealt a setback yesterday when Governor Dayton sent a letter to Speaker Thissen and Majority Leader Bakk saying that their budget target of $293 million is too high and he will not agree to that level of spending. Here is a link to the letter
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
Partnering with libraries for visioning, advocating, and educating
Received Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at 1:48 pm
