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Committee discusses extending prior appropriations for Ramsey County, Minneapolis and other programs; year differences to be reconciled
Summary
Conference committee members agreed in principle to extend previously authorized appropriations for Ramsey County Youth Prize, Minneapolis and other local grants, and to remove a defunct grantee, but left the final extension years and administrator choices for follow-up.
Conference members discussed multiple appropriation extensions and technical corrections affecting Ramsey County, Minneapolis and related local grants.
Ramsey County Youth Prize: Both House and Senate bills include an extension for Ramsey County’s Youth Prize appropriation, but they differ on the length of the extension. The Senate provision would extend availability through fiscal year 2029; the House draft extends it through fiscal year 2027. Senator Ruben (senate author) told the committee he preferred the 2029 extension; Representative Liz Lee carried the measure in the House. Members said they would follow up with Ramsey County to confirm the preferred extension length before a final vote.
Kujuk (grantee removal) and Minneapolis: Committee members also agreed to remove Kujuk (an organization that is no longer operating) as a listed grantee and to keep funds flowing to the Youth Prize program. The House language directs a related appropriation to Explore Minnesota; committee members noted Explore Minnesota raised concerns about administering that grant and said staff would follow up with the Minnesota Humanities Center and other options.
Arrowhead Opportunity Agency capital project language: Members discussed an agency request to allow a previously appropriated workforce-development grant to be used for a regional capital hub. Senate chairs expressed a policy preference against using jobs omnibus authority for capital projects; authors from the Arrowhead region said they would advocate for the change. The committee did not adopt a final position and asked for more follow-up.
Committee action: Members signaled agreement to extend the appropriations in principle, remove Kujuk as a grantee, and to resolve the exact extension year (2027 vs. 2029) and administration details with county/agency partners before final adoption.
Next steps: Chairs asked staff to confirm local preferences and to return with a unified drafting recommendation for the conference package.
