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2007 Minnesota Legislative Report (Please note that references to ‘first year’ and ‘second year’ in this report represent appropriations for 2008 and 2009 respectively). Surprisingly, the 2007 session ended on time. Teamsters Local 320 worked hard to ensure that appropriate funding levels were reached, despite a budget that ultimately did not include new revenue sources. Notably absent in this year’s session was the onslaught of anti-public employee initiatives that have plagued previous sessions. That’s thanks to due diligence on the part of Local 320 and other public employee advocates. In fact, Local 320, along with many other public employee unions, advocated for and received additional cost of living adjustments. As part of the session-ending negotiations, a generally applied 3% the first year and 3% the second year salary supplements were built into the base budgets outlined further in this report. Local 320 fought hard to support and ensure passage of these items – all of which are now law: Courts The total appropriation for the Supreme Court is $44,592,000 in year one, and $45,923,000 in year two. This included a 3% increase in judge’s salaries. For the Court of Appeals, $9,766,000 in the first year, and $10,620,000 for the second year. Of that amount, $1,285,000 for the first year and $1,876,000 for the second year is for caseload increases. These monies will be used for 3 additional judge units, an additional staff attorney and 2.67 full time equivalent law clerk positions. Trial Courts were approved for $246,077,000 in the first year and $254,916,000 for the second year. Of these amounts, new judge united were approved at $1,792,000 the first year and $3,241,000 in the second year. Allotment is according to the following criteria:
A judge unit is defined as a judge, law clerk and court reporter. Also, $2,096,000 the first year and $2,097,000 the second year are to establish and maintain new drug courts. Public Defense The Board of Public Defense was approved at a total appropriation of $69,519,000. Of these amounts, $3,213,000 the first year and $5,009,000 the second year are for 34 new full-time equivalent attorneys and 11 new full-time equivalent support staff positions to address caseload increase. Of this amount, $200,000 each year is for transcript costs. Law Enforcement This year’s package contained a number of line items to assist law enforcement agencies statewide. Squad Car Cameras: COPS (Community Oriented Police) Grants: Defibrillators: Community Corrections Probation Supervision, CCA System: Probation Supervision, CPO System: Adult and Juvenile Felon Offender Management: Sex offender Treatment: Sentencing to Service: Short-term Offenders: Higher-Ed – U of M/MnSCU This year’s Higher Education Finance Bill provided $3.16 billion in state funding for higher education institutions, students and related programs for the next two years, including a 14.9 % funding increase for the University of Minnesota and a 12.7 % increase for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
The University of Minnesota will receive $1.39 billion, a $150 million increase over the current two-year budget cycle. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU) will receive $1.36 billion, a $153 million increase over the current two-year budget cycle. K-12 Funding Additional Articles Waseca County Deputies Interest Arbitration Award Local 320 Wins Layoff and Recall Case in Nobles County 2004 Minnesota Legislative Summary U of M Board of Regents Briefs Members on State, Local 320 Wins Shift Differential Case At The University of Minnesota
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