6.1. ERMUSR 03-08-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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municipal utility contributions to this fund. It appears that idea has been scrapped. Utilities with nuclear plants (Xcel) contribute to this fund at this point. MMUA lobbyists don't traditionally spend a lot of time in the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee, but the committee is expected to hear HF 134 (Hackbarth, R- Cedar), which would rescind the authority of city councils to regulate private wells within city limits. Introduction of this bill followed hard on the heels of an announcement from the Minnesota Department of Health that it would no longer challenge city authority to .regulate wells by ordinance or through city zoning code. Cities sought clarification of their authority after property owners within city boundaries drilled their own irrigation wells within municipal water utility service areas to avoid paying city utility rates. Private well drillers have used state mandated conservation rates as a selling point for their services. This has led to a serious strain on the financial viability of public water systems where it has occurred, reports the League of Minnesota Cities, and has also resulted in large increases in water use through new private wells, affecting future water availability and security of the public water supply. A related bill of interest is HF 517, which limits water conservation rate structure application to public water suppliers serving more than 1,000 people in the metro area, repeals street lighting mandates and the mandate for transmission-owning municipal utilities to file transmission reports with the state. Governor Mark Dayton introduced his budget on Wednesday. It was not well-received by the Republican-controlled Legislature. To see the Governor's budget presentation, click here: http://mn.~ovJ~overnor/images/GOV-Release-FY2012-13-Biennial-Bud~et.pdf The complete budget can be found at: http://www.mmb.state.mn.us/~ov-bill-11 On Feb. 10, the House adopted committee deadlines for the 2011 session: March 25 -Finance bills must be out of committee and sent to the Ways and Means Committee. April 29 -first policy deadline. A bill must have passed out of one body's committees to continue to be considered, May 6 -second policy deadline. A bill must have passed out of both bodies' committees and be reported to the floor to stay alive. Other important dates include: April 19-25, spring break. May 23 -constitutionally-mandated adjournment date. •