By Joel Johnson
MN director of Coalition for a Secure Energy Future
Legislators returned to St. Paul on April 23, following a 10-day break, ready to finish up the major work of the 2019 Session. The two bodies spent the following week passing their major appropriations bills, and setting up final negotiations over the contours and size of the state biennial budget.
That’s where the real challenge lies. Budget targets – the amount of funding in each issue area – are expected by May 6, though historically reaching an overall or “global” agreement on funding targets often proves elusive. This year looks no different. The Legislature must adjourn by midnight on May 20.
On the energy front, the House and Senate remain fairly far apart. Energy policy and funding provisions have been lumped into HF2208, with jobs, economic development and housing provisions.
The House version, which includes contentious energy provisions like the 100 percent by 2050 Renewable Energy Mandate, passed on an almost strictly party-line 74-59 vote, as just one DFL representative – Rep. Dave Lislegard, of Aurora – voted against the bill. In all, the debate regarding the bill took over 14 hours, spread across two days.
The Senate version of HF2208, which contained mostly consensus energy policy provisions, passed with a bipartisan 40-26 vote in a little over four hours.
A conference committee made up of five members from each body will now negotiate over the major differences in the two bills, which will be no easy task. Jobs & Economic Development Chair Tim Mahoney (DFL-St. Paul), Energy & Climate Chair Jean Wagenius (DFL-MPLS) and freshmen representatives Zach Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids), Jamie Long and Hodan Hassan (DFL-Minneapolis) were selected to represent the House.
As of May 1, it had not been announced which Senators would be appointed to the conference committee, though it is expected that Jobs & Economic Development Chair Eric Pratt (R-Prior Lake) and Energy Utility Chair Dave Osmek (R-Mound) would lead the Senate contingent.