News
Submitted by kkillian on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 12:25pm
Submitted by kkillian on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 12:13pm
The 2013 Session of the Minnesota Legislature wrapped up late last night. This was a year of significant victories for MAPE and our legislative agenda. Below is a brief overview of the session. A full summary will be available as specific bills get signed into law.
First and foremost the overall state budget will increase by $2 billion. This is the first real increase in many years. The added...
Submitted by mcody on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 8:13am
Minnesota Legislature passes tax bill that balances deficit, funds historic investments in education, property tax relief & job creation
Minnesota House of Representatives passed a tax bill that will provide for a structurally balanced budget, and ask the wealthiest Minnesotans to pay a sliver more in order to pay for overdue investments in education, property tax relief and job...
Submitted by mcody on Sunday, May 19, 2013 - 8:32am
House passed the final pension bill on a bipartisan vote of 77-53 on Saturday. The bill is now on its way to the governor for a signature.
The bill contains the contribution triggers outlined in the legislative update and a provision for unions to do a blind mailing to retirees using MSRS data. It also allows for retirees to pay dues monthly out of their pension checks.
To see this language...
Submitted by mcody on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 11:25am
Pension Conference Committee just wrapped up its bill that will be heading to both bodies. The bill includes financial assistance for both the Duluth and St. Paul teachers for the next two years while a consolidation study is completed to take a look at a potential merger with the Teachers Retirement Association.
The bill includes an opportunity for labor to do a blind mailing of retirees through...
Submitted by mcody on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 10:01am
The governor and legislative leadership have just held a news conference just before 9 p.m. Thursday announcing agreement on some budget items including a tax rate of 9.85 percent for the fourth tier, agreement on the Rochester Mayo Clinic investment and an accelerated payback of the school shift by the end of the biennium. The agreement contains $400 million in tax relief and a $1.60 cigarette...
Submitted by mcody on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 10:36pm
Immediate legislative updates from the Capitol
As the session heads into its final days, we will keep you updated here in this blog on the progress of legislation impacting MAPE members at the Capitol. Check back often!
Monday, May 20
The House passed a tax bill that will provide for a structurally balanced budget, and ask the...
Submitted by mcody on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 12:36pm
Shortly after noon, the House of Representatives accepted the message from the Senate to approve the whistleblower bill. The final House vote was 76-56.
A big thanks to the two chief authors of the bill, Sen. Goodwin and Rep. Loeffler. The bill language can be viewed below:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF0443&session=ls88&version=latest&session_number=0&...
Submitted by kkillian on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 - 9:59am
H.F. 542, the whistleblower protection bill, has now passed both the Minnesota House and Senate. Most recently it passed the Minnesota Senate on Friday with a unanimous 61-0 vote. Unfortunately the bill that passed the House and the bill that passed the Senate are slightly different. The bill now must go back to the House and voted on one again or sent to conference committee.
The bill will allow...
Submitted by kkillian on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 - 9:55am
Minnesota Senate voted Monday to expand marriage to same sex couples on a bipartisan vote of 37-30. The Minnesota House passed the bill last week.
Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law Tuesday afternoon, May 14, on the steps of the state Capitol House File 1054/Senate File 925, granting all Minnesotans the freedom to marry.
MAPE supports marriage equality as a way to achieve benefit...
