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Minn. committee reviews proposed rules, sets 1 p.m. amendment deadline; agencies absent, no formal action
Summary
Members of the Workforce, Labor and Economic Development Committee reviewed proposed committee rules, affirmed procedures for amendments and virtual testimony, and heard that agencies would appear at a later date. No formal votes or bills were taken up at the meeting.
Committee Chair (name not specified) opened the session of the Minnesota Legislature’s Workforce, Labor and Economic Development Committee and said members would not take formal action at the meeting, noting, “we will not be taking any official action today. We're not passing any bills.”
The committee reviewed proposed committee rules that were in front of members and said those documents will be posted online. Committee members emphasized decorum and process: members should address the chair, seek cross-aisle conversation through the chair, and notify the committee administrator in advance if they cannot attend hearings. The chair said staff will make the rules available to the public promptly.
Committee business procedures the panel discussed included a 1 p.m. deadline on the day before a committee hearing for submitting bill amendments so staff have time to prepare documents for the following morning. The committee confirmed it will hold hearings three days per week starting at 8:15 a.m., with allowances for virtual testimony via Zoom so people across Minnesota may participate. Members were advised that hearing lengths and public testimony time limits (for example, two, three or five minutes) may vary depending on the day’s agenda.
Members said they expected agency presentations to be rescheduled; the chair said agencies would be invited back to provide overviews of the governor’s proposed budget at a later meeting so the panel could “find out what the governor was thinking and proposed.” The chair closed the meeting after confirming no agencies had appeared and reiterating that no votes or bill adoptions would occur that day.
The committee also reminded members to file proposed changes to bills by the 1 p.m. pre-hearing deadline and to coordinate with committee staff and the committee administrator about attendance and logistics. The chair noted the committee will announce meeting postings and documents online and reiterated that staff can support remote participation.
Members who spoke by name during the meeting included Representative Mecklen (vice chair) and Representative Johnson; the chair’s personal name was not specified in the transcript. No formal motions, roll-call votes, ordinances or resolutions were introduced or adopted during the session.
