Special session today
Today, the Minnesota Legislature will convene for a special session. Governor Dayton called for the special session yesterday.
Last Friday, June 5, the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee discussed four of omnibus bills that will be voted on: education, bonding, agriculture and legacy. The proposed bonding bill includes $26.5 million in capital investment for the University: $18 million for the Veterinary Isolation Labs and $8.5 million for the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory in Willmar. College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Trevor Ames testified before the committees emphasizing the critical role these facilities will play in Minnesota’s disease responsiveness.
Read the proposed special session bills.
2015 laws relevant to the University
Only 80 bills were presented to the governor from the 2015 legislative session; the fewest number of laws enacted in a regular session since Minnesota’s statehood. Of these, the governor signed into law 20 bills that may impact the University.
This year marked the beginning of the legislative biennium. Bills that did not get vetoed remain active.