Conference committee votes to restore legislative funding with no strings attached

Lawmakers on Wednesday night took their first steps in restoring funding to the legislative branch after the state Supreme Court sided with Gov. Mark Dayton and his use of a line-item veto that wiped away the House and Senate’s operating budgets.

The Legislature has been using its reserve funds and some Legislative Coordinating Commission funds to operate after losing a lawsuit to the governor. Dayton, a DFLer who battled with Republican legislative leaders over last session’s budget bill, said he vetoed the Legislature’s budgets to bring House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) back to the bargaining table over other issues.

The conference committee on HF399 used a delete-all amendment as the mode for restoring that funding, approving the amended bill on a voice vote. It’s a straight funding bill, too, with no policy attached.

Sen. Carolyn Laine (DFL-Columbia Heights), the only DFL conferee, was the lone nay vote.

“It’s like we’re starting all over,” Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) said, adding later, “It’s important that we are doing a rewind.”

Under HF399, as amended, the Senate, House and LCC would see their funding restored retroactively to July 1, 2017 – the first day of the fiscal biennium. The Senate would receive $64.4 million over two years and the House would see $64.76 million. The bill requires both the Senate and House to transfer money back to LCC by June 30, 2018.

The spending since the Supreme Court’s decision, however, would be counted in the Senate and House’s restoration, according to State Budget Director Margaret Kelly.

The conference committee report can be voted on in the House as early as Thursday.