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Maple River Education Coalition PAC
105 Peavey Rd, St 116 
Chaska, MN  55318 
952-361-4931
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Feb 26, 2002
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Minnesota Economic Leadership Team (MELT)

More on Workforce/Economic Restructuring

The bills that will put the central planning leadership team in place are: HF3151 in the House and SF3072 in the Senate.

These two bills create a new Department (Workforce and Economic Development Department -- WEDD) out of two others, and they create a single, powerful "policy board" that will oversee all workforce and economic planning. SF3072 in the Senate is authored by Senator Ellen Anderson, and HF3151 in the House is authored by Rep. Bob Gunther.

These two bills take up the recommendations of the Transition Team that was appointed by the 2001 legislature to work out a plan to transition to the new centralized federal workforce system. (See the Transition Teams's report) can.

The central planning board is called the Minnesota Economic Leadership Team (MELT). MELT will oversee the system as a Corporate Board oversees a corporation. It would "provide direction to the Governor, agency commissioners, and other governing boards" in carrying out the central plan for the workforce and the economy."

The Senate will be hearing SF3072 today in the Senate Government Operations Committee at 1:00 p.m. in Room 107 of the State Capitol.

Call to oppose HR3151 and SF3072

SENATE LEADERSHIP

Roger Moe (651) 296-2577

HOUSE LEADERSHIP

Steve Swiggum (651) 296-2273

SENATE State and Local Government Operations Committee

HOUSE Jobs Finance Committee

MREdCo PAC Recommendations

MREdCo PAC recommends deleting language from HF3151/SF3072: (recommended deletions are shown in parentheses. recommended additions are in capitals.)

Section 14 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT -- WEDD

The commissioner shall: (8) administer and supervise all employment and training services assigned to the department under (federal or) state law;

(9) (review and comment on local service unit plans and community investment program plans and approve or disapprove the plans;)

(11) ADD: ADMINISTER PROGRAMS (supervise the county boards of commissioners, local service units, and any other units of government) designated in (federal or) state law as responsible for employment and training programs;

(12) (establish administrative standards and payment conditions for providers of employment and training services;)

(13) (act as the agent of, and cooperate with, the federal government in matters of mutual concern, including the administration of any federal funds granted to the state to aid in the performance of functions of the commissioner; )

(14) (obtain reports from local service units and service providers for the purpose of evaluating the performance of employment and training services;)

(15) (review and comment on plans for Indian tribe employment and training services and approve or disapprove the plans; )

(16) (require all general employment and training programs that receive state funds to make available information about opportunities for women in nontraditional careers in the trades and technical occupations; )

(19) ADD: INVESTIGATE ALL AVENUES BY WHICH MINNESOTA MAY CHALLENGE AND OBJECT TO A NATIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING SYSTEM AND A MANAGED ECONOMY (administer a national system of public employment offices) as prescribed by (United States Code, title 29, chapter 4B, the Wagner-Peyser Act,) ADD: THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT OF 1998 (and other federal employment and training programs;)

(20) (cooperate with the federal government and its employment and training agencies in any reasonable manner as necessary to qualify for federal aid for employment and training services and money; )

(22) (as requested, certify employment and training services, and decertify services that fail to comply with performance criteria according to standards established by the commissioner; )

23) (provide consistent, integrated employment and training Services across the state; )

(25) (establish the standards for all employment and training services administered under this chapter; )

(26) (develop standards for the contents and structure of the local service unit plans and plans for Indian tribe employment and training services; )

Section 15 MINNESOTA ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP TEAM - RESPONSIBILITIES

The Minnesota economic leadership team shall:

(1) (develop and continually update a strategic vision for the state economy;)

(2) (review regional plans in the context of statewide economic priorities; )

(3) define and monitor a set of strategic economic indicators designed to assess the overall economic health of the state;

(4) (establish performance targets to be met for its indicators; )

(5) (provide direction to the governor, agency commissioners, and other governing boards regarding their role in the implementation of the strategic vision; 0

(6) (advise private and nonprofit organizations on how they may contribute toward achieving the team's vision of economic vitality in the state;) and

(7) produce a regular report that ADD: DESCRIBES THE OVERALL ECONOMIC HEALTH OF THE STATE (outlines the current strategic vision and documents the state's progress to date on the established indicators.)

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