The House and Senate named members to serve on the supplemental budget conference committee. The House named five GOP members to serve on the supplemental budget conference committee while the Senate named four DFLers and one GOP.
The House members are:
- Ways & Means Chair and Conference Committee co-chair, Jim Knoblach (GOP-St. Cloud)
- Education Finance Chair, Jennifer Loon (GOP-Eden Prairie)
- HHS Finance Chair, Matt Dean (GOP-Dellwood)
- Jobs & Economic Development Finance Chair, Pat Garofalo (GOP-Farmington)
- Environment & Natural Resources Finance Chair, Denny McNamara (GOP-Hastings)
The Senate members are:
- Finance Chair and Conference Committee co-chair, Dick Cohen (DFL-St. Paul)
- Finance Ranking Member, Michelle Fischbach (GOP-Paynesville)
- E-12 Budget Chair, Chuck Wiger (DFL-North St. Paul)
- HHS Budget Chair, Tony Lourey (DFL-Kerrick)
- State Government Budget Chair, Tom Saxhaug (DFL-Grand Rapids)
What’s Next?
As of today the conference committee has yet to meet, but MREA anticipates some activity the week of May 10. However, this conference committee can’t do any substantial work until leadership gives them a budget target and some direction on how to spend that target. It’s unlikely that a leadership deal that produces a supplemental budget target will be reached until after the fishing opener.
The legislative session must end on May 23.