Jobs omnibus (SF 36-64) advances with workforce and manufacturing appropriations; members demand better reporting on prior grants

The Senate Jobs and Economic Development Committee adopted the author’s a2 and a3 amendments to Senate File 36-64 on April 15 and voted to forward the omnibus to the Senate Finance Committee.

Staff walked members through a spreadsheet of appropriations and cancellations. Highlights include a $2 million general-fund appropriation for Enterprise Minnesota to support small manufacturers, a $7 million grant to the city of Chaska to attract PGA events, multiple workforce-development grants (including funding for the Hmong American Partnership and a Getting to Work grant program), a $1.5 million appropriation related to an automotive component manufacturer, and several cancellations totaling roughly $10.6 million to offset the package.

Lynn Shelton, vice president at Enterprise Minnesota, thanked the committee for the $2 million appropriation and described the group’s role helping manufacturers improve competitiveness and create good-paying jobs.

A contentious portion of the hearing focused on the automotive manufacturer appropriation (a company identified in discussion as Flex Forge). Senator Pratt and others said required reporting on a prior appropriation was late or incomplete and urged that the committee should withhold additional funding until DEED provided a final report containing wage, job-creation and expenditure details. DEED’s government-relations director, Devon Bowdre, said staff were checking on the status of the final report and that DEED and the company had been working to finalize it.

Senator Graham offered an a4 amendment — requiring a 90-day report and oversight documentation for the Chaska grant — but withdrew it after the author agreed to continue work with affected parties before Finance. The committee passed SF 36-64 as amended by voice vote and referred it to Finance.