Conference committee update
With two weeks left in the 2023 legislative session, conference committees have been busy working out differences in the major budget bills. A few conference committees, such as the committee working on the Omnibus Tax bill, are still in the process of being appointed and have not yet begun work.
The Education Finance conference committee met several times last week. Committee members spent most of the time reviewing the House and Senate bills. Note that decisions about voluntary prek/school readiness plus, funding for general community education, and funding for adults with disabilities will be made in this conference committee.
The Early Education Conference Committee also met this week and for the most part, spent its time reviewing the House and Senate bills. Decisions on items such as early learning scholarships, early education staffing at MDE, and developmental screening will be made in this conference committee.
The Health and Human Services conference committee, which will make decisions on child care assistance and the child care stabilization grants, met once so far and like the others, spent time reviewing the House and Senate bills.
Advocacy next steps – MCEA priorities and child care stabilization/retention payments
Thank you for your advocacy so far on the budget and policy issues. If you have not reached out yet, you still have time to ask for the conference committees to fund MCEA’s priorities and the child care stabilization/retention payments.
Pension Commission holds informational hearing on TRA pension bill
On Thursday, the Pension Commission held an informational hearing on HF3294/SF3314, legislation to reduce the retirement age for teachers who do not qualify for Rule of 90. The bill lowers the retirement age from 66 to 64 for those teachers and pays for this change with a .5% increase in employee contributions and a 1% increase in employer contributions. The bill also includes an unspecified appropriation to school districts to cover the employer contribution costs. The hearing was informational only and the commission took no action on the bill.
