Ways and Means committee places Senate File 1832 on general register after adopting delete‑all amendment

The Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee on May 6 recommended Senate File 1832, the omnibus jobs, labor and economic development budget bill, for placement on the general register after adopting a delete‑all (DE) amendment by voice vote.

A nonpartisan budget analyst told the committee the target for the package was a $50,000,000 reduction from the February forecast in the first biennium and a further $50,000,000 reduction in the biennial tails. “The target for the workforce, labor, and economic committee, was a reduction of $50,000,000 in the first biennium from, the base that was established in the February forecast,” the staff member said.

Representative Pinto, one of the committee chairs presenting the DE, said the chairs faced tougher fiscal constraints than originally expected and that the package approaches roughly $68,000,000 in general‑fund reductions while preserving selected investments. “We had a $50,000,000 general fund cut in both the first biennium and in the tails,” Pinto said, and noted the chairs sought to protect some programs and add targeted funding where possible.

Committee discussion and the chairs’ presentation listed several specific allocations and cuts the chairs said are included in the DE: a $5,000,000 general‑fund allocation to address what Pinto described as “the grama” shortfall and related layoffs; $3,000,000 for a teacher‑apprenticeship program; just under $900,000 in childcare grants from proposals carried by Representatives Lee and Lisonbee (about $1,000,000 combined); roughly $7,000,000 added to several competitive workforce‑development grant programs; and an operating increase of $1,650,000 for DEED. The chairs also said the package reflects a proposal from the governor and Representative Greenman addressing worker misclassification.

Pinto and co‑chair Baker said the Minnesota Investment Fund and the Job Creation Fund bear the bulk of reductions in the bill. Baker said the DE also contains placeholder policy provisions the chairs expect to continue working on, and highlighted inclusion of a non‑compete provision in the DE.

Committee members approved the DE amendment and then, after discussion, voted to recommend Senate File 1832 as amended for placement on the general register, instructing nonpartisan staff to make technical changes necessary to reflect the committee’s will. Both votes were taken by voice; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the hearing record.

Committee leaders told members the bill will proceed to the general register and noted that the committee’s next meeting will take up the children and families and health omnibus bills; they also said the committee may recess and recall members later to accommodate adjustments tied to the health bill.

What the committee approved on Wednesday was placement on the general register and adoption of a DE amendment; no final enactment occurred and the bill will face further consideration and possible changes as it moves through the legislature.