 |
Team MAPE has released our 2008 House voting records. Legislators with higher vote scores will be much more likely to earn the Team MAPE endorsement during the 2008 campaign. Click here to download the vote record in PDF form: Download 2008_voting_records2.pdf.
The scores are based on the following votes:
1. Transportation Override
The first major action taken by the legislature was the Transportation Bill override providing the necessary means to improve and maintain the state’s infrastructure. This bill improves the safety of our states roads and bridges and puts well over $6 billion into construction projects.
2. 2007-2009 State Labor Agreements
For the first time in MAPE history, our contract was passed on pure votes before the last day of the session.
3. Bonding Bill
The initial bill provided $70 million dollars in funding for the central corridor and which was negotiated into the final settlement. The projects in this bill (including those negotiated at the end) provide Minnesota jobs and a $10 million dollar – 100 bed facility at the Mpls. Vets Home.
4. Workforce Planning and Retention
Representative Chris Delaforest offered an amendment to remove the MAPE provision from the major Finance bill. The provision requires the state to honor and pay employees in all job classes according to the state’s own compensation studies.
5. State Health Care Assessments
Rep. Chris DeLaforest offered an amendment disallowing a health insurance company from surveying public employees for the purpose of assessing the health of an individual or collective group. Completing the current health assessment allows employees to receive a $5 co-pay discount. MAPE opposed the legislative restriction of these assessments because it was an attempt by the legislature to mandate against something that was agreed to in the collective bargaining process and voted on by our members.
6. Omnibus Pension Bill
This bill incorporated modifications to the Post Retirement Investment Fund which is critical to ensuring the financial viability of our retirement plans. The bill establishes methods of dissolving the Post Fund if the funding ratio declines and creates a lengthier funding mechanism to offset the fluctuating market. Now, retirees will get inflationary increases if the Post Fund’s funding ratio returns to 100%.
7. Employee Free Choice Act
The Employee Free Choice Act is a resolution supporting the right for all employees to join a union.
8. DHS Enterprise Closure
This legislation would have required DHS to notify appropriate members of the Legislature’s Finance committees of their intent to close a facility. It would have given patient’s families and staff the opportunity to be heard before the closure of the facility. The Finance committee, which appropriates state money, would have the opportunity to adjust funding if they felt the closure should be prevented.
9. Health Care Reform Bill
This bill simply places 12,000 more uninsured Minnesotan’s in a position to qualify for Minnesota Care. It was the biggest step by the 2008 legislature towards universal health care. The bill calls for a study of affordability and begins to pay doctors for health outcomes.
10. Blood Donation Leave
A provision is now in state law that states an employee may be granted paid leave to donate blood at a location away from work. The leave may not exceed three hours in a 12 month period. Employees must provide at least a 14 day notice to the employer. MnSCU employees were exempted from this legislation.
11. Deficit Bill
The deficit bill closed corporate tax loopholes saving the state nearly $109 million in future tax breaks and lost jobs. The Legislature also held strong using only $50 million dollars from the Health care Access Fund to balance the budget as opposed to the Governor’s $250 million proposal.
12. Personal Sick Leave Benefits
This provision would have required employers to honor sick leave for adult children, spouse, siblings, parents, grandparents, or stepparents. This did not prevent an employer from providing greater benefits nor did it alter current collective bargaining agreements that already recognized the use of sick leave for children, spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent, and stepparent.
13. Minimum Wage
This bill would have increased the minimum wage indexing, eliminated the training wage and required employer notice of how to report minimum wage violations and what the applicable minimum wage is. Under the language, minimum wage would have increased to $6.75 per hour on 7/24/08 and $7.75 per hour on 7/24/09. Employees under the age of 18 would have increased to $5.35 and $5.75. The bill was vetoed by the Governor
May 7th, 2008
Governor’s Changed Position
On April 18th, 2008, Gov. Pawlenty reneged on his promise to MAPE by issuing a document titled “Supplemental Budget Concerns” and listing “Compensation Increase Provisions” as one of his concerns. The Governor referred to our workforce planning and retention legislation as a “compensation increase” and stated, “These provisions will require that compensation rates be set without consideration of market conditions and will increase compensation budgets, making it more difficult for agencies to absorb operating cuts.” It’s hard to believe that the Governor does not know that the state’s own Hay ratings actually consider market conditions. It’s even harder to believe that this provision is beyond what an agency can absorb. We are already seeing agencies post jobs, conduct interviews, and repost the job even longer due to the inability to hire a qualified applicant. The average vacancy already takes the state 8-10 weeks to fill. Its MAPE employees who will be burdened with the increased workload due in part to agencies inability to fill positions based on the looming staff turnover. Ask yourself where the salary savings money is going.
The Governor failed to mention a few things in his supplemental budget concerns. First, Gov. Pawlenty fails to mention the major workforce transition that Minnesota will soon be experiencing with the large percentage of retirement eligible state employees. Many of his appointed Commissioners and the state’s Demographer have expressed concerns in various committees over the inability to retain and recruit state employees. These issues will lead to more state vacancies than ever before. Secondly, Gov. Pawlenty failed to mention that this bill would actually help him resolve the issues that caused him to issue an Executive Order. The Gov. and his staff are well aware that this provision will eliminate a longstanding inequitable provision in statute as well as salary compression that will help state agencies recruit and retain qualified employees in the very near future.
Current Status of the bill:
On Wednesday, April 30, 2008, the workforce planning and retention legislation was amended into S.F. 3190 authored by Sen. Ann Rest. S.F. 3190 was amended to include some policy provisions that the Senate has taken a position on. The original bill, S.F. 3190, is the blood donation bill allowing state employees up to three hours of annual paid blood donation leave.
On Thursday, May 1st, S.F. 3190 was heard and passed on the Senate floor where Sen. Jungbauer made a failed attempt to remove it from the bill. Within hours, Rep. Gene Pelowski had it removed from that same bill behind closed doors.
Our legislation was removed from the deficit bill ,H.F. 1812, at the time it was put into the policy bill of S.F. 3190. When the state government portion of the deficit bill was conferenced last Friday our legislation was not include. Effective Friday, May 2nd, our legislation no longer existed in any bill.
On Sunday night at 11:55, Rep. Lyn Carlson relinquished his Chair position and made a motion to amend the legislation back into H.F. 1812. That motion passed and the legislation currently exists there at this moment.
Where could it go from here?
With only eleven more calendar days to pass a bill, Leadership from both the House of Representatives and the Senate will be negotiating bills including H.F. 1812, the tax bill, several remaining policy bills, and a few controversial bonding requests with the Governor’s staff. Our provision is just one of a fairly long list of legislation the Governor does not want passed. I would encourage all MAPE employees to use the TeamMAPE web site to send the prepared letter to the Governor urging him to support the workforce planning and retention legislation. If the Governor supports this legislation, we will have a great chance of getting the language into law.
If you have questions feel free to contact myself of Political Affairs Coordinator Kendal Killian at any time.
Richard Kolodziejski
MAPE Legislative Affairs Director
With 30% of all state employees on the verge or retirement, Minnesota is about to experience a major workforce transition. Despite issuing an Executive Order outlining the urgency of this issue, Governor Pawlenty has indicated that he may not support a workforce planning solution provision this session.
Click here: Contact Governor Pawlenty and ask him to support workforce planning!
MAPE supports a provision in HF 1812 that would help the state prepare for this shift by saving money on employee turnover, retaining knowledgeable state employees beyond the date they are eligible to retire, and encourage long term employees to extend their service, aiding the training of new employees.
Despite issuing an executive order drawing attention to the seriousness of this issue, Governor Pawlenty recently included the workforce planning provision in a statement related to "concerns" he has with the current budget bill.
Click here: Contact Governor Pawlenty and ask him to support workforce planning!
Governor signs MAPE's contract
House File 3138, including the MAPE contract, was signed by Governor
Tim Pawlenty on Thursday. This marks the final hurdle for the 2007-2009
MAPE contract – it’s now officially approved.
This process began more than a year ago with the MAPE Negotiations
Team surveying members about what they would like included in the
contact. During the 2007 legislative session, Team MAPE, supported by
more than 5,000 member-to-legislator contacts, was successful in
earning a salary supplement, providing additional money for state
employee salaries.
The contract was agreed upon last summer in the final hours of “push
week.” It was then passed by the MAPE Board of Directors, supported by
89 percent of voting members and signed by members of the Pawlenty
administration.
In August, MAPE’s contract was implemented following unanimous
approval by the Legislative Coordinating Commission Subcommittee on
Employee Relations. Last fall, MAPE members received backpay going back
to July 1st, as compensation for the time when the contract was not yet
in place.
The 2007-2009 MAPE contract includes two 3.25 percent
across-the-board pay hikes, one for each year of the biennium. It also
includes an innovative prescription drug plan that will save money for
both employees and the state.
Passage of the MAPE contract was MAPE’s No. 1 legislative priority
for 2008. Contract passage will give MAPE members peace of mind knowing
that our collectively bargained benefits, like health care, will not be
in jeopardy.
The bill containing the MAPE contract was authored by
state Rep. Karla Bigham. The state Senate companion bill was authored
by Senate President Jim Metzen.
Thank you to members of Team MAPE who attended Day on
the Hill and contacted your legislators regarding this important
issue.
House file
1812 is an Omnibus State Budget Bill. Versions of the bill have passed
both the House and Senate. Now it will be sent to a conference
committee to work out the differences. Tuesday April 8th the legislators that will sit on that converence committee were named. They are Representatives Carlson, Rukavina,
M.Murphy, Ozment, and Wagenius and Senators Cohen, Tomassoni, Fredrickson, Higgins,
and Betzold.
Please contact these legislators and ask them to keep our Workforce Planning provision in the bill. Use this link to contact your legislators: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/workforceplanning.
More info:
The bill is 376 pages in length and includes appropriations for
multiple state agencies as well as provisions relating to health care
and higher education. The specific measure in the bill MAPE is most
interested in relates to Workforce Planning and Retention.
Why is this so important?
With 30% of all state employees on the verge or retirement, Minnesota
is about to experience a major workforce transition. This provision
will help the state prepare for this shift by saving money on employee
turnover, retaining knowledgeable state employees beyond the date they
are eligible to retire, and encourage long term employees to extend
their service, aiding the training of new employees.
Legislative and Political Affairs Communication
MAPE staff have put together a plan to coordinate communication between the membership and legislature regarding the passage of our 2007 – 2009 collective bargaining agreement and workforce planning and retention legislation. As the legislative session approaches and after it begins, I would encourage all Locals to invite Team MAPE staff to speak at their Local meetings regarding the importance member participation has during this upcoming legislative session. We will do our best to accommodate as many Locals as possible.
Passing the 2007 – 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement
Beginning on January 14th, the Team MAPE website will direct its focus on communication to legislators to pass the MAPE contract. As far back as most of us can remember, this process is completed on the last day of the legislative session after ironing out all the issues that get picked up along the way. Remember, we negotiated with the Governor’s team. The Governor and his team, our membership, and the Legislative Coordinating Commission have overwhelmingly agreed upon the terms we’ve negotiated. There is no reason not to immediately pass our contract so the MAPE staff and membership can focus their attention and efforts on other beneficial legislation for the membership. We need every MAPE employee’s help in contacting their legislator and encouraging them to push for early passage of the MAPE contract.
Legislative Update – Workforce Planning and Retention Legislation
As we reported in November, our state’s workforce is on the verge of a major transformation. Approximately 30 percent of all state employees are eligible for retirement in the next three years and nearly 50 percent of the remaining workforce is eligible to retire in the following five years. At the same time, as Governor Pawlenty has acknowledged, the number of available skilled workers in Minnesota will concurrently decrease.
MAPE is working on legislation that will address these challenges. Currently, the state of Minnesota analyzes positions to determine proper compensation levels using a system known as the Hay study. By requiring the state, through legislation, to base compensation on this system, the state will save money on employee turnover, retain knowledgeable state employees beyond the date they are eligible to retire, and assist in having long term employees present to help train new employees.
This will be a major initiative in the upcoming session. MAPE has already met and will continue to meet with leadership and legislators from both the House and Senate regarding proposed Hay legislation. In the upcoming session, it will be a major undertaking to educate and convince both the Governor and legislature that state employees need to be compensated appropriately across the board, not compensated at the arbitrary discretion of their agency. More information will be e-mailed out and posted on the Team MAPE website as the Feb. 12 start date for the 2008 legislative session approaches.
Workforce Planning Facts:
- 30% of all state employees are eligible for retirement in the next 3 years.
- Nearly 50% of the remaining workforce is eligible to retire in the following 5 years.
- Over 7,000 MAPE employees are compensated one to five steps below their Hay determined compensation level.
- Over 70% of all newly hired MAPE employees in the past two years have been hired at step three of the pay grids or above, proving that current compensation determinants are inadequate.
Day on the Hill
MAPE Day on the Hill will be Wednesday March 12th. Reminders and instructions to sign up will be going out in mid January. Remember if this is a member’s first time, we will schedule legislative meetings with other constituents or staff.
Click here to register for MAPE Day on the Hill: http://www.teammape.org/reghill.html
In solidarity,
Richard Kolodziejski
MAPE Legislative Affairs Director
Summary
The 2007 legislative session has come to a close. Legislators kept their word and adjourned on time, avoiding a special session. The battle between a Democratic majority in both legislative bodies and a Republican governor proved to be deal breakers on many avenues, including property tax reform, money for roads, a bonding bill, state capital improvements and many health-care initiatives.
For MAPE, this session was a major success. In the November 2006 elections, MAPE PAC endorsed legislative candidates won nearly 75 percent of their races, establishing strong MAPE allied majorities in both legislative bodies for the first time in eight years. MAPE employees contributed to the passage of important legislation this session by contacting their legislators in record numbers. The Legislative Action website was used nearly six times more than any other previous year. Many members used the Legislative Action website this session for the first time. One-hundred-twenty MAPE members packed the Great Hall at the Capitol, making MAPE’s 2007 Day on the Hill a huge success. In addition, MAPE members across the state contacted their legislators for MAPE’s first ever virtual Day on the Hill. There is no doubt that MAPE employees who took the time to attend Day on the Hill, call, write and e-mail their legislators played a major role in our accomplishments this session.
MAPE was successful in getting legislation passed against outsourcing. This language was a major step in the right direction and met the top two priorities of the session set by MAPE’s Government Relations Committee. We were also successful in achieving a 3 percent salary supplement above the governor’s budget request for each year of the biennium. There is no question that legislation passed this session that will benefit each and every member of the MAPE bargaining unit.
Continue reading "2007 Session Review" »
Salary supplement – We are asking for a salary supplement so that our compensation does not come at the expense of agency budgets and of our quality of life. The Senate has included a 3.25% salary supplement in agency budgets. It has been stipulated that these funds are to be used specifically for salaries and not for insurance or other benefits. We are requesting a supplement that is larger than the 2% in the House. We believe House members and Leadership can do better than what was allocated in the Governor’s budget.
You’ve heard for years that a 10% increase in insurance is equivalent to a 1% salary increase for all MAPE employees. Using the cost of all MAPE salaries and insurance provided to us by DOER for fiscal year 2006 and the newly projected increase in insurance of 12% each year of the biennium, health care costs will exceed the 2% salary supplement proposed by Governor Pawlenty and the House. In fact, we would likely need a 2.25% salary supplement for 2009 just to keep up with health care costs. This is unacceptable.
It is possible that the House will simply match the governor’s 2% proposal, instead of matching the Senate’s dedicated 3.25% proposal. Please take the time to encourage your House members to pass on the message to their leadership: We are calling upon the House to match the Senate’s 3.25% proposal.
Outsourcing and privatization – MAPE is pushing legislation that would prevent outsourcing and privatization of state workers by requiring agencies to certify that no state employees on recall lists are able to perform specified job duties before contracting out. These bills have been amended into the State Government Finance Omnibus bills (HF953 and SF1997). Each bill received numerous hearings, has been passed by Finance committees in both chambers and will be heard in Ways and Means in the near future.
Keep the Lights on - Both the House and the Senate have continuing appropriation bills in the State Government Finance Omnibus bills listed above that would deter the potential of any future government shutdown and the effect it could have on the MAPE membership. One major change has occurred on the House side that now keeps existing appropriations in effect at the base level for one month. These bills have significant support and will generate discussions from both houses on what can be agreed upon for the length of time appropriations should continue.
Health Care – MAPE supports universal health care and efforts to make our health care system more efficient and cost effective. Each year, the cost of health care costs eats up a large percentage of our total compensation. The Senate has introduced a bill that MAPE strongly supports SF2 introduced by Senator Berglin. It is a large extensive bill that in part requires a plan for universal health care and numerous other reforms.
- MAPE opposes the “independent mandate” portion of the recently announced “Healthy Minnesota” initiative. This is similar to the Massachusetts law that forces all citizens to purchase health insurance, but provides no funding to make insurance affordable for low wage workers.
- MAPE supports HF1588 and SF1662, which would establish a pilot project to create consumer owned electronic health records in MnSCU. MAPE would like to see this program established for all state employees enrolled in the SEGIP program. Both bills are heavily supported. The Senate bill will be heard in Senate Finance this week and the House bill will be heard in Higher Ed. and Workforce Development Policy Finance Division this week.
Domestic partner benefits - These bills require that health insurance benefits be made available to domestic partners of state employees if they are also made available to spouses. This item was included in the State Government Finance omnibus bill in both chambers.
- The Senate Chief Author was Sen. Sandy Pappas; in the House, it was Rep. Phyllis Kahn.
- One of our members, Lori Lippert has done a great job testifying. She was quoted in the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and on MPR.
- The Senate passed the measure; however, it was amended to provide domestic partnership benefits at full cost to the enrollee. In other words, domestic partners of state employees will now have the ability to access health care through the state but they would be responsible for the full cost, similar to the cost of a COBRA benefit.
In the House, this provision is included in the State Government Finance Omnibus bill.
Both bodies also have provisions requiring employers to permit sick leave to be used to care for your domestic partner. That provision is included in both State Government Finance Omnibus bills.
In the House version, the measure was amended to include both same sex and opposite sex domestic couples.
Compensation for Partial Government Shutdown – Representative Leon Lillie, our MAPE Legislator of the Year, has taken the initiative to author legislation that would “make whole” members impacted by the 2005 government shutdown. His bill was H.F. 333. In the House, this measure was included in the State Government Finance Omnibus bill, H.F. 953. However, the bill no longer includes employees who left state service. It also removes any option the employee may have had. Under the current language, an employee would be paid an additional amount equal to the previous payment if the payment was made in cash, or have hours credited to the employee’s vacation bank in the same amount as the previous credit. This language was likely amended in response to DOER’s complaint that making employees whole would be an accounting nightmare. In the Senate SF329 is currently being held up in Senator Cohen’s Finance Committee.
Voluntary Unpaid Leave of Absence – Both bodies have language in the State Government Finance bills that renew employees ability to be approved for unpaid leaves of absence for up to 1040 hours in the biennium while continuing to accrue vacation, sick leave, paid holidays, seniority and insurance benefits. This language previously had a sunset date that was removed.
Cards, Emails, Letters and Phone Calls - We urge every member to take a few minutes out of their day to visit MAPE.org and Legislative Action. We will continue to update the website with legislation supported by MAPE in conjunction with MAPE’s Legislative Positions. The key message at this point involves the salary supplement. Ask your legislators to urge House leadership to match the Senate’s 3.25% supplement. Please ask your legislators what response they received from House leadership when they inquired about this issue.
Session Update – As we approach the Easter break, MAPE legislation is gaining traction. The MAPE Legislative Action Team is working hard, often 12 hour days, for MAPE friendly legislation.
Salary supplement – Employees deserve adequate wages. We also need the resources to do our jobs for all Minnesotans. We deserve to be paid adequately for this important work. We are asking for a salary supplement so that our compensation does not come at the expense of agency budgets and of our quality of life. The Senate has included a 3.25% salary supplement in agency budgets. It will be stipulated that these funds are to be used specifically for salaries and not for insurance or other benefits. Please encourage House members to pass on the message to leadership: We are requesting a supplement that is larger than the 2% allocated in the Governor’s budget.
It is possible that the House will simply match the governor’s 2% proposal, instead of matching the Senate’s 3.25% proposal. Health insurance increases are projected to be between 10% and 12% each year of the biennium. A 10% increase in health insurance costs is equal to a 1% salary supplement. Therefore, health care costs would eat up nearly the entire 2% salary supplement proposed by Governor Pawlenty. This is unacceptable. We are calling upon the House to match the Senate’s 3.25% proposal. It is crucial that we have both the compensation we need for our families and the funding to continue doing our jobs for the state of Minnesota.
Outsourcing and privatization – MAPE is pushing legislation that would prevent outsourcing and privation of state workers by requiring agencies to certify that no state employees on recall lists are able to perform specified job duties before contracting out. Until this week, these bills were SF471 and HF548. Each bill received numerous hearings. Both are now included in the each chamber’s state government finance omnibus bill.
Keep the Lights on - There have been similar bills introduced (S.F. 11 and H.F. 7) in both the House and the Senate pertaining to continuing appropriations that would deal with the potential of any future government shutdown and the effect it could have on the MAPE membership. The bills keep existing appropriations in effect at the base level through the fiscal year ending June 30th of the next even-numbered year. Both bills have significant support. The House bill in particular has gained significant momentum with more than 34 authors, of both parties, signed on. Both bills are in each chamber’s finance committee.
Health Care – MAPE supports universal health care and efforts to make our health care system more efficient and cost effective. Each year, the increase in health care costs eats up a large percentage of our total compensation. The Senate has introduced a bill that MAPE strongly supports S.F.2 introduced by Senator Berglin. It is a large extensive bill that in part requires a plan for universal health care and numerous other reforms.
- MAPE opposes the “independent mandate” portion of the recently announced “Healthy Minnesota” initiative. This is similar to the Massachusetts law that forces all citizens to purchase health insurance, but provides no funding to make insurance affordable for low wage workers.
- MAPE supports HF 1588, which would establish a state employee electronic health records pilot project. This bill, and its companion in the Senate, will be included in the state government finance omnibus package.
Domestic partner benefits - These bills require that health insurance benefits be made available to domestic partners of state employees if they are also made available to spouses. This item was included in the State Government Finance omnibus bill in both chambers.
- The Senate Chief Author was Sen. Sandy Pappas; in the House, it was Rep. Phyllis Kahn.
- One of outour members, Lori Lippert has done a great job testifying. She was quoted in the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and on MPR.
- The state government finance omnibus bill has passed in the Senate, including the Domestic Partnership provision.
- The Senate passed the measure; however, it was amended to provide domestic partnership benefits at full cost to the enrollee. In other words, domestic partners of state employees will now have the ability to access health care through the state but they would be responsible for the full cost, similar to the cost of a COBRA benefit.
- In the House, this provision is included in the State Government Finance Omnibus bill, which passed out of committee yesterday.
Compensation for Partial Government Shutdown – Representative Leon Lillie, our MAPE Legislator of the Year, has taken the initiative to author legislation that would “make whole” members impacted by the 2005 government shutdown. His bill is H.F. 333. In the House, this measure is included in the state government finance omnibus bill. In the Senate, SF 329, is currently being held up in Senator Cohen’s Finance Committee.
Cards, Emails, Letters and Phone Calls - We urge every member to take a few minutes out of their day to visit MAPE.org and Legislative Action. We will continue to update the web site with legislation supported by MAPE in conjunction with MAPE’s Legislative Positions. The key message at this point involves the salary supplement. It is important to keep the pressure on, particularly in the House, to have the House match the Senate’s 3.25% supplement.
On Wednesday, more than 120 MAPE members packed the Great Hall at the state Capitol to register and hear from legislative leaders from both the state House and Senate for the 2007 MAPE Day on the Hill.
Attendees learned about legislation that will have a significant impact on their collective futures. They also heard rousing speeches from Speakers such as the Speaker of the Minnesota House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, MAPE Legislator of the Year Representative Leon Lillie and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Tarryl Clark.
After the initial kickoff celebration, members split up to have one-on-one meetings with their elected officials. 95% of surveyed attendees were able to have a personal visit with at least one of their legislators. Legislator appointments give MAPE members a chance to discuss issues of importance to them and their families; like universal health care, pension security and job outsourcing.
In addition the large crowd gathered for the traditional Day on the Hill, MAPE members across Minnesota participated in the "Virtual" Day on the Hill. This effort generated nearly 1,000 emails from MAPE members to their elected officials; while countless others called and wrote letters asking legislators to support MAPE legislation.
As part of the Capitol kickoff celebration, MAPE honored former Legislative Director Brian Bergson for his eight years of service to the organization. His awards were presented to him by MAPE Government Relations Committee member Glenn Donnay. Bergson left MAPE in December to become the Communications Director for Attorney General Lori Swanson.
The key to the success of Day on the Hill is fostering direct communication between MAPE members and their elected officials. Members from nearly half the legislative districts in the state had face-to face-meetings with at least one of their legislators. A post event survey indicated that 97% of attendees felt Day on the Hill was a positive, effective experience.
Members Rubin Latz, Mitchell Wallerstedt, and Glenn Donnay deserve kudos for the key role they played in making Day on the Hill 2007 our best-ever! Join us next year, for MAPE Day on the Hill.
Session Update – The 2007 is in full swing. The 35 new state Representatives, 18 new state Senators are beginning to learn the ways of the Capitol. We are going through the extensive process of meeting and speaking with all new members and staff. Nearly all of the new members have positive things to say about MAPE and seem very upbeat about helping to accomplish our legislative priorities.
Outsourcing and privatization – The issues of outsourcing and privatization have sparked the most fireworks for the MAPE Legislative Action Team thus far. MAPE representatives were in attendance as State Chief Information Officer Gopal Khanna pledged that he was “1,000 percent” opposed to outsourcing state IT jobs. As a preventative measure, MAPE is pushing legislation that would prevent outsourcing and privation of state workers by requiring agencies to certify that no state employees on recall lists are able to perform specified job duties before contracting out. This legislation is HF 548 and SF 471. The Chief Authors are Senator Sandy Pappas and Representative Steve Simon. The bill received its first hearing in the Senate last week.
Salary supplement - MAPE is working with both House and Senate leadership in the approval of a salary supplement for state employees. The governor has proposed a 2% supplement for each year of the biennium. Remember, this is supposed to fund both a salary increase AND increases in benefit costs. We are hopeful to get additional funding for MAPE employees salaries without actually affecting the overall agency budgets that is larger than the 2% proposed by the Governor. It is important to note that the salary supplement may not take the form of a bill. Please encourage legislators to pass on the message to their respective leadership: We are requesting a supplement that is larger than 2% allocated in the Governor’s budget.
Keep the Lights on - There have been similar bills introduced (S.F. 46 and H.F. 7) in both the House and the Senate dealing with continuing appropriations that would deal with the potential of any future government shutdown and the effect it could have on the MAPE membership. The bills keep existing appropriations in effect at the base level through the fiscal year ending June 30th of the next even-numbered year. Both bills have significant support. The house bill in particular has gained significant momentum with more than 34 authors, of both parties, signed on.
Health Care - The Senate has introduced a bill that MAPE strongly supports. S.F.2 introduced by Senator Berglin received its first hearing last week. It is a large extensive bill that in part requires a plan for universal health care, establishes premium rate restrictions, increases reimbursement for critical access dental providers, requires an interoperable electronic health records system, implements an intensive care management program, removes insurance barriers for children in Minnesota Care, eliminates Minnesota Care premiums for members of the military and their families and affirms that every resident of Minnesota has the right to affordable health care. Additional bills with relating to health care and supportive of various aspects of Senator Berglin’s bill are also popping up and will be listed under Legislative Action on the front page of the web.
Compensation for Partial Government Shutdown – Representative Leon Lillie, our MAPE Legislator of the Year, has taken the initiative to author legislation that would “make whole” members impacted by the 2005 government shutdown. His bill is H.F. 333.
Cards, Emails, Letters and Phone Calls - We urge every member to take a few minutes out of their day to visit MAPE.org and the Legislative Action. We will continue to update the web site with legislation supported by MAPE in conjunction with MAPE’s Legislative Positions. We will make it very easy to learn about the issues mentioned above and to help you contact your legislator. Also, please encourage your co-workers to call and write their legislators too. Please stand up and fight back! I can not tell you how important it is for Legislators to hear from MAPE employees and their family members. You can make a difference.
Legislative Session Begins – The 2007’ Legislative session has begun with many new faces and assignments. With 35 new state Representatives, 18 new state Senators, many new legislative staff, and an expansion to approximately 60 committees and subcommittees, we have begun an extensive process in attempting to meet and speak with all new members and staff.
MAPE is working with both House and Senate leadership in the approval of a salary supplement for state employees. We are hopeful to get additional funding for MAPE employees salaries without actually affecting the overall agency budgets. The lack of increased agency funding over the past several years has required agencies to do more with less. This has left many MAPE employees in a position to take on additional workloads for positions that were never filled or for functions that were never funded.
There have been similar bills introduced (S.F. 46 and H.F. 42)in both the House and the Senate dealing with continuing appropriations that would deal with the potential of any future government shutdown and the effect it could have on the MAPE membership. The bills keep existing appropriations in effect at the base level through the fiscal year ending June 30th of the next even-numbered year. MAPE does not support bills being introduced that set aside certain agencies as essential and others as nonessential in determining continuing appropriations.
The Senate has introduced a bill that MAPE strongly supports. S.F.2 introduced by Senator Berglin is a large extensive bill that in part requires a plan for universal health care, establishes premium rate restrictions, increases reimbursement for critical access dental providers, requires an interoperable electronic health records system, implements an intensive care management program, removes insurance barriers for children in Minnesota Care, eliminates Minnesota Care premiums for members of the military and their families and affirms that every resident of Minnesota has the right to affordable health care. Additional bills with relating to health care and supportive of various aspects of Senator Berglin’s bill are also popping up and will be listed under Legislative Action on the front page of the web.
MAPE will also be monitoring and supporting S.F. 1 and H.F.3 relating to taxation. They increase state aids to education, modify school district levies, increase homestead market value credits and increase city and county aid.
GRC – The GRC has set February 14th as the date for MAPE Day on the Hill. The GRC is preparing talking points for all participants that deal with the legislative priorities set by MAPE. Please encourage all members to participate in the MAPE Day on the Hill. You can register by going to the MAPE PAC web site and clicking on “MAPE Day on the Hill”,e-mailing Kendal Killian at kkillian@mape.org or calling (651) 287-8768. Legislators are heavily influenced by their constituents and need to hear from them.
MAPE will be working diligently to turn back legislation that may likely surface including any Information Technology or other position outsourcing, any attacks on your pension and retirement system and any legislation conflicting with your rights to the collective bargaining process. MAPE’s 2007 Legislative Positions are available on the MAPE web site at www.mape.org or feel free to contact any one of us.
Cards, Emails, Letters and Phone Calls - We urge every member to take a few minutes out of their day to visit MAPE.org and the Legislative Action. We will continue to update the web site with legislation supported by MAPE in conjunction with MAPE’s Legislative Positions. We will make it very easy to learn about the issues mentioned above and to help you contact your legislator. Also, please encourage your co-workers to call and write their legislators too. Please stand up and fight back! I can not tell you how important it is for Legislators to hear from MAPE employees and their family members. You can make a difference.
|
|
 |
| Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
| 8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
| 15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
| 22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
| 29 |
30 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Recent Comments