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| Date: | June 2, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Michael Brodkorb | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-4184 | | Contact Email: | michael.brodkorb@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATE MAJORITY LEADER AMY KOCH ELECTED TO BE CHAIR OF LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON PLANNING & FISCAL POLICY |
(St. Paul) -- Newly appointed members of the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy met for the first time this year on Thursday. The commission elected Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch (R-Buffalo) to chair the commission and Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove) as the commission’s vice chair.
“I am honored to have been elected by my peers in the legislature to chair this commission,” said Senator Koch. “However, time is of the essence and we need to use the resources and tools available to us to fully understand what the priorities are in Gov. Dayton’s budget and weigh them against state revenues and expenditures.”
The commission had planned to hear testimony from the Commissioners of Revenue and Minnesota Management and Budget. Although previously invited to attend, Commissioner of Revenue Myron Frans and Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget Jim Schowalter ultimately did not appear before the commission.
Created by the Legislature in 1987, the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy is responsible for a variety of tasks. Understanding budget data is clearly stated in Minnesota §3.885, Subd. 4 which reads:
“…The commissioner of management and budget and the commissioner of revenue shall provide the commission with full and free access to information, data, estimates, and statistics in the possession of the Management and Budget and Revenue Departments on the state budget, revenue, expenditures, and tax expenditures.”
The next meeting of the LCPFP is scheduled for Tuesday, June 7 at 2:00 PM.
Members of the Minnesota Senate appointed to the LCPFP are:
Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, Deputy Majority Leader Geoff Michel, Sen. Julianne Ortman, Sen. David Hann, Sen. Mike Parry, Sen. Claire Robling, Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk, Sen. Linda Berglin, and Sen. Keith Langseth.
Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives appointed to the LCPFP are:
Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers, House Majority Leader Matt Dean, Rep. Keith Downey, Rep. Steve Drazkowski, Rep. Pat Garofalo, Rep. Morrie Lanning, Rep. Doug Wardlow, House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, Rep. Mindy Greiling, and Rep. Ann Lenczewski.
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