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Rules committee deadlocks 8-8 on adding broadband bill to Friday calendar
Summary
The Minnesota House Rules Committee voted 8-8 on a motion to add Senate File 908 — a broadband implementation bill — to the May 9 calendar; the motion failed on a tie after debate over whether the measure is already covered in the workforce omnibus budget bill.
The Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration failed to add Senate File 908 to the calendar for Friday, May 9, after a roll-call vote ended in an 8-8 tie.
Committee chair Representative Long said the broadband language is already included in the budget measure the committee is calendaring for Friday and urged members not to calendar SF 908 separately. Representative Schultz moved to add SF 908 as a standalone item, saying lawmakers should “make sure that those dollars get spent to help Minnesotans.”
Supporters of calendaring the standalone bill said the legislation would clear uncertainty and let broadband projects proceed this summer. “The governor could sign it. They would have be able to move forward,” said Representative Zalesz, urging members to vote to get the bill to the governor and allow local broadband projects to schedule work while weather permits. Representative Disco noted the bill had already passed the Senate unanimously and argued that calendaring it separately could expedite final action.
Chair Long responded to those arguments by saying the broadband provisions were included in the larger workforce, labor and economic development budget bill that the committee plans to move to the floor. “Good news, representative Schultz. No matter how you vote, it will be on the calendar on Friday because it is contained in the budget bill,” Long said before ordering the roll-call.
The roll call produced eight ayes and eight nays, so the motion “does not prevail.” The clerk recorded votes as follows: Yes — Co-chair Nyska; Vice chair Engen; Representative Jacob; Representative Nash; Representative Schultz; Representative Scott; Representative Steer; Representative Lesnar Carr. No — Co-chair Long; Co vice chair Hollins; Representative Coulter; Representative Frederick; Representative Howard; Representative Jordan; Representative Cagle; Representative Purcell.
The chair noted that because the broadband language is contained in the budget omnibus the measure will still be before the House on Friday as part of that larger bill. Members who argued for a separate calendar item said their goal was to allow local contractors and municipalities to proceed with federally funded broadband projects this summer; members opposing a separate calendar item said inclusion in the omnibus budget was sufficient.
Votes recorded in committee do not by themselves send bills to the governor; they determine what appears on the House calendar for floor consideration.
