On Friday, December 6, at 9am, the two House Health & Human Services (HHS) committees (Reform and Finance) will meet jointly to discuss the November forecast, the fiscal cliff and its impact on the Depts. of Health and Human Services, and methadone as a chemical dependency treatment. It will be held in room 10 of the State Office Building.
The 88th legislative session will officially begin on Tuesday, January 8, 2013, at 12pm. As a result of the recent elections, the DFL is now in control of both the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate.
New Senate Leadership
Majority Leader-Designate: Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook
Assistant Majority Leader-Designate: Katie Sieben, DFL-Newport
Senate President: Sandy Pappas, DFL-Saint Paul
Minority Leader-Designate: David Hann, R-Eden Prairie
Source: MPR News
New House Leadership
Speaker-Designate of the House: Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis
Majority Leader-Designate: Erin Murphy, DFL-Saint Paul
Minority Leader-Designate: Kurt Daudt, R-Crown
Source: TC Daily Planet
Only the House has released information regarding committee structure and leadership. Here are a couple of changes relevant to child welfare:

  • ‘Reform’ committees (e.g. HHS Reform and Education Reform) renamed ‘Policy’
  • HHS Finance headed by Rep. Tom Huntley
  • HHS Policy headed Rep. Tina Liebling
  • Early Childhood and Youth Development Policy (new committee) headed by Rep. Joe Mullery
  • Housing Finance and Policy (new committee) headed by Rep. Karen Clark
  • Ways and Means headed by Rep. Lyndon Carlson

Source: New majority lays out committee structure