Minn. House recalls several bills to new committees, sets calendar and adjourns until Feb. 27

The Minnesota House of Representatives on Thursday moved several bills between committees, designated multiple measures for the chamber calendar and set its next meeting time, taking the steps by voice vote with little debate.

House leaders from the committee on rules and legislative administration designated House File 21 and House File 72 to be placed on the calendar for Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, and established a prefiling requirement for amendments to those measures. The rules committee also designated House File 289 to the Feb. 27 calendar, according to remarks on the floor.

The moves to reassign bills included: Representative Julie Warwah’s motion to recall House File 432 from the committee on capital investment and re-refer it to the committee on transportation finance and policy, which passed by voice vote. Representative Liz Coulter moved to recall House File 1147 from education policy and re-refer it to the committee on children and families finance and policy; that motion also passed by voice vote. Representative Emily Freiburg moved that House File 1478 be recalled from the committee on elections, finance and government operations and re-referred to the committee on state government finance and policy; that motion prevailed as well. Representative Hansen moved to return House File 1612 to its author after discovering it had been drafted to the wrong funds; the motion prevailed.

Representative Warwah explained the HF 432 transfer as a local road project: “It’s just a it’s a road project in my district for my county wanting to move it from capital investment to transportation. That is all,” she said. Representative Coulter described HF 1147 as changes to the school-age care levy to expand eligible uses to certain pre-K expenses and said the bill “does not belong in education policy.” Representative Freiburg said HF 1478 continues funding set up last session for surveyors and that administration of the funding falls within the state government finance committee’s discretion. Representative Hansen said HF 1612 was drafted to the wrong funds and requested it be returned to the author.

Other routine business included second readings of several house files and the first reading and introduction of a block of measures (house files 1494 through 1615). The journal of the previous day was approved as corrected. Multiple noncontroversial motions and committee reports were adopted with no objection.

The chamber adjourned after Representative Niska moved that the House stand adjourned until 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025; that motion also passed by voice vote. The proceedings recorded few speakers and minimal debate, and all recorded procedural motions prevailed without recorded roll-call votes.

Votes at a glance: HF 432 — recalled from Capital Investment to Transportation Finance and Policy; motion by Representative Julie Warwah; voice vote, motion prevailed. HF 1147 — recalled from Education Policy to Children and Families Finance and Policy; motion by Representative Liz Coulter; voice vote, motion prevailed. HF 1478 — recalled from Elections, Finance and Government Operations to State Government Finance and Policy; motion by Representative Emily Freiburg; voice vote, motion prevailed. HF 1612 — returned to author; motion by Representative Hansen; voice vote, motion prevailed. Rules committee designations — HF 21 and HF 72 placed on the Feb. 27 calendar with an amendment prefiling requirement; HF 289 placed on the Feb. 27 calendar; motion by committee (reported by Niska); voice vote, motion prevailed.

The actions were procedural and do not themselves change policy; they alter committee referrals and the chamber calendar, which affect where and when measures will receive further review.