LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE STRUCTURESTRUCTURE

AND PROCESSAND PROCESS

Presentation forPresentation for

2006 Airtap Fall Forum2006 Airtap Fall Forum

Amy VennewitzAmy Vennewitz

Metropolitan CouncilMetropolitan Council

Legislative WorkCan be Exciting!!

Current Political Current Political StructureStructure

GovernorGovernor Governor Tim Pawlenty, RepublicanGovernor Tim Pawlenty, Republican

SenateSenate 67 Total Members, 4-year terms67 Total Members, 4-year terms DFL Majority, 38 membersDFL Majority, 38 members Republican Minority, 29 membersRepublican Minority, 29 members Majority Leader Senator Dean Johnson Majority Leader Senator Dean Johnson

House House 134 Total Members, 2-year terms134 Total Members, 2-year terms Republican Majority, 68 membersRepublican Majority, 68 members DFL Minority, 66 membersDFL Minority, 66 members Speaker of the House Representative Steve Speaker of the House Representative Steve

SviggumSviggum

After November 7????After November 7????

November 7 – Election dayNovember 7 – Election day

Governor and all members of Senate Governor and all members of Senate

and House standing for electionand House standing for election

30 of 201 Legislators (15%) Retiring30 of 201 Legislators (15%) Retiring

Potential incumbent lossesPotential incumbent losses

Landscape could remain same or Landscape could remain same or

have large changeshave large changes

Activity Starts Activity Starts ImmediatelyImmediately Governor Governor

makes key agency appointmentsmakes key agency appointments reviews/selects budget initiativesreviews/selects budget initiatives

House and Senate House and Senate elect caucus leadershipelect caucus leadership establish new legislative committee establish new legislative committee

structurestructure appoint committee chairs & membersappoint committee chairs & members membership proportionally balancedmembership proportionally balanced

Legislative CommitteesLegislative Committees Policy CommitteesPolicy Committees

Policy committees for major topic areas, Policy committees for major topic areas, i.e. education, environment, i.e. education, environment, transportationtransportation

Hear all bills in topic areaHear all bills in topic area Pass bills to other policy committees, Pass bills to other policy committees,

budget committees (divisions) or to floorbudget committees (divisions) or to floor Budget Committees or DivisionsBudget Committees or Divisions

Also for major topic areasAlso for major topic areas Hear only bills with “fiscal impact”Hear only bills with “fiscal impact” Pass bills to Finance and Tax committeesPass bills to Finance and Tax committees

Legislative Committees Legislative Committees Cont.Cont. Finance and Tax CommitteesFinance and Tax Committees

Chaired by senior legislatorsChaired by senior legislators In Senate, Finance hears spending bills, In Senate, Finance hears spending bills,

Taxes hears revenue raising billsTaxes hears revenue raising bills In House, Ways and Means committee In House, Ways and Means committee

hears both finance and tax billshears both finance and tax bills Rules CommitteesRules Committees

Chaired by majority leaders in Senate & Chaired by majority leaders in Senate & HouseHouse

Hear bills that have not met “rules”Hear bills that have not met “rules”

Rules & Administration

Ch: JohnsonVC: Rest

Taxes

Ch: PogemillerVC: Tomassoni

Finance

Ch: CohenVC: Chaudhary

Capital Investment

Ch: LangsethVC: Kiscaden

Health, Human Services Budget Division

Ch: BerglinVC: Solon, Y.P.

Environment, Agriculture, &

Economic Development

Budget Division

Ch: SamsVC: Dibble

Transportation Budget Division

Ch: MurphyVC: Moua

Higher Education Budget Division

Ch: PappasVC: Solon, Y.P.

K-12 Education Budget Division

Ch: StumpfVC: Marko

Early Childhood Policy &

Budget Division

Ch: HottingerVC: Kubly

State Government

Budget Division

Ch: Kiscaden

Jobs, Energy& CommunityDevelopment

Ch: AndersonVC: Bakk

State & Local

Government

Operations

Ch: HigginsVC: Wiger

Elections

Ch: Wiger

Judiciary

Ch: BetzoldVC: Skoglund

CrimePrevention

&Public Safety

Ch: FoleyVC: Skoglund

AgricultureVeterans &

Gaming

Ch: VickermanVC: Skoe

Environment

& NaturalResources

Ch: MartyVC: Saxhaug

Health &Family

Security

Ch: Lourey

Education

Ch: Kelley, S.P.VC: Skoe

Commerce

Ch: ScheidVC: Sparks

Transportation

Ch: MurphyVC: Moua

Public SafetyBudget Division

Ch: Ranum

2005-06 Senate Commitees

20005-06 House Committees

Rules & Legislative

Administration

Ch: Paulson

Taxes

Ch: Krinkie

Ways and Means

Ch: Knoblach

Capital Investment

Ch: Dorman

Health Policy and Finance

Ch:Bradley

Agriculture, Environment and

Natural Resources

Finance

Ch: Ozment

Transportation Finance

Ch: Holberg

Higher Education Finance

Ch: Nornes

Education Finance

Ch: Sykora

Jobs and Economic

Opportunity Policy and Finance

Ch: Gunther

State Government

Finance

Ch: Seifert

Local Government

Ch: Olson

Government

Operations & Veterans

Affairs

Ch: Tingelstad

Civil Law & Elections

Ch: Johnson

Ethics

Ch: Erickson

Regulated Industires

Ch: Westrom

Agriculture& Rural

Development

Ch: Davids:

Environment& NaturalResources

Ch: Hackbarth

Education Policy & Reform

Ch: Buesgens

Commerce & Financial Institutions

Ch: Wilkins

Transportation

Ch: Erhardt

Public SafetyPolicy and Finance

Ch: Smith

Committee StructureCommittee Structure

Chair – Member of majority party, some Chair – Member of majority party, some seniority, interest/expertise in subjectseniority, interest/expertise in subject

Committee staff Committee staff committee secretary & administrator, work committee secretary & administrator, work

directly for chairdirectly for chair non-partisan professional staff, policy non-partisan professional staff, policy

analysts, counsel, fiscal analysts, work for analysts, counsel, fiscal analysts, work for all legislatorsall legislators

majority & minority partisan staff, hired by majority & minority partisan staff, hired by caucuses, work for legislators in their caucuses, work for legislators in their respective caucusrespective caucus

Typical Committees with Typical Committees with Jurisdiction over Airport Jurisdiction over Airport

IssuesIssues Transportation PolicyTransportation Policy

Subcommittee on aviation in both Senate & Subcommittee on aviation in both Senate & HouseHouse

Airport operations, noise issuesAirport operations, noise issues Transportation FinanceTransportation Finance

MnDOT Office of Aeronautics, State Airport MnDOT Office of Aeronautics, State Airport FundFund

State and Local Government Operations State and Local Government Operations (Senate) and (Senate) and Local Government Local Government (House)(House) Land use, noise, MAC governance issuesLand use, noise, MAC governance issues

Legislative Commission on Metropolitan Legislative Commission on Metropolitan Governance Governance (joint Senate/House)(joint Senate/House) Metropolitan Council governance and budgetMetropolitan Council governance and budget

Basic Bill FlowBasic Bill Flow Idea generation Idea generation

Individuals & constituents, legislators, Individuals & constituents, legislators, professional group/associations, Governor and professional group/associations, Governor and agenciesagencies

Legislator requests a bill draftLegislator requests a bill draft Senate & House professional staff or Revisor of Senate & House professional staff or Revisor of

Statutes drafts billStatutes drafts bill Finds author in “other” house & co-authorsFinds author in “other” house & co-authors

Companion (identical) bills introduced in Companion (identical) bills introduced in both housesboth houses

First reading on floorFirst reading on floor Bill is referred to CommitteeBill is referred to Committee

In Senate President refers, in House Speaker In Senate President refers, in House Speaker refersrefers

Committee Actions on Committee Actions on BillsBills Committee OptionsCommittee Options

Hear, amend, pass the billHear, amend, pass the bill Hear the bill, vote it downHear the bill, vote it down Hear the bill, put in into another billHear the bill, put in into another bill Don’t hear the billDon’t hear the bill

Committee reports the bill to the Committee reports the bill to the floor or another committeefloor or another committee

Budget or fiscal bills must go to a Budget or fiscal bills must go to a finance or tax committeefinance or tax committee

Floor Actions on BillsFloor Actions on Bills Bill is reported to floor, second Bill is reported to floor, second

readingreading Individual bill or omnibus billIndividual bill or omnibus bill

Bill is debated, amended on floorBill is debated, amended on floor Third reading Third reading (no amendments)(no amendments)

Bill passes (fails) and is transmitted to Bill passes (fails) and is transmitted to “other” house“other” house

Other house passes identical bill or Other house passes identical bill or amends bill amends bill (substitutes language)(substitutes language)

Bill sent to Governor Bill sent to Governor (if identical)(if identical) Conference Committee Conference Committee (if amended)(if amended)

Conference Committee Conference Committee ActionsActions Equal # of Senators and Representatives Equal # of Senators and Representatives

(typically 3-5)(typically 3-5) Staff prepares side-by-side comparisonsStaff prepares side-by-side comparisons Committee recommends final bill Committee recommends final bill

contentcontent Majority of members from each house Majority of members from each house

must agree on final contentmust agree on final content Each house must adopt committee Each house must adopt committee

reportreport Pass final bill without amendmentPass final bill without amendment

Governor’s ActionsGovernor’s Actions

Bill presented to GovernorBill presented to Governor 3 days to: 3 days to: (if session has ended,10 days)(if session has ended,10 days)

SignSign Allow to become law without signatureAllow to become law without signature VetoVeto

Veto override requires 2/3 voteVeto override requires 2/3 vote 90 votes in House90 votes in House 45 votes in Senate45 votes in Senate

Committee consideration:

- Committee report - Adoption of report on floor - Possible referral to other committees

Bill introductionFirst reading

Referral to a committee

Second reading

Floor consideration

Third reading(no amendments)

PassageVote required: at least a majority

House-68Senate-34

Overview of the Legislative Process

Floor consideration

Third reading(no amendments)

PassageVote required: at least a majority

House-68Senate-34

On floor

Bill substituted forcompanion bill

Message received from the first houseBill introduction

First reading

Second readingof bill from the first house

S ECOND H OUSEH OUSE OF O RIGIN

In committee

Bill referred to committeeCommittee consideration

Committee report(s)

First house's bill replaces second house's companion bill

- either -

Wasthe bill amended bythe second house?

Concur inamendments?

Conference committee report

C ONFERENCE C OMMITTEE

No

Yes

H OUSE OF O RIGIN

Yes

Re-passage

G OVERNOR

1Sign into law

3Neither sign nor veto

- During session: law without signature- End of session: pocket veto

OR . . .

2Return veto

(during session)

- an item of appropriationor

- an entire act

No

Veto overrideVote required: at least 2/3

House-90Senate-45

Becomes law despite veto

E ACH H OUSE(Beginning with the House of Origin)

E ACH H OUSE(Beginning with the House of Origin)

Enrollmentof Act

Re-passage

Conference committee report adopted(no amendments)

Third Reading

Third Reading OR . . .

Minnesota House of Representatives - Research Department - November 2002

Biennial Legislative Biennial Legislative TimelineTimeline

Odd-year session Odd-year session Pass 2-year biennial budgetPass 2-year biennial budget Starts very early January Starts very early January Required to end first Mon. after 3Required to end first Mon. after 3rdrd Sat. in Sat. in

MayMay Even-year sessionEven-year session

Pass bonding bill authorizing capital projectsPass bonding bill authorizing capital projects Starts late February – MarchStarts late February – March

Total biennial legislative days limited to Total biennial legislative days limited to 120120

State revenue forecastsState revenue forecasts February and NovemberFebruary and November

Advocacy – Where to have Advocacy – Where to have ImpactImpact

Direct contact with LegislatorsDirect contact with Legislators Get sponsorship of requested legislationGet sponsorship of requested legislation Explain issues one-on-oneExplain issues one-on-one

Contact staffContact staff Input on bill drafting, other issuesInput on bill drafting, other issues Assistance on processAssistance on process

Testify at Committee HearingsTestify at Committee Hearings Provide expertise, informationProvide expertise, information

Get membership, others to contactGet membership, others to contact