Pump the Brakes!!!!
I Better Slow Down. I’ve been reporting without any real evidence other than my naked eye (and it turns out I may be a little near-sighted) that there will be a number of education-related bills that will be passing on their own instead of taking the more traditional route of being incorporated into larger omnibus bills. I took last Thursday’s passage of the free school meals bill to be an indication that might be happening. It has been pointed out to me subsequently that the Senate has yet to move the school meals bill to the floor, but it has been recommended to pass by the Senate Education Finance Committee and is currently sitting in the Senate Finance Committee chaired by Senator John Marty. Senator Marty has been critical in the past of the omnibus bill process as it can lead to less transparency and we will see how he and the rest of the Senate choose to approach the narrow bill versus omnibus bill issue. We will know more in the next few weeks as the school meals bill and other single-purpose bills wend their way through the process or are held in their original committees for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill that will be constructed later this session.
Senate Education Policy Committee. The Senate Education Policy Committee met today and covered four pieces of legislation. The bill with the largest scope is SF 620, a bill authored by Senate Education Finance Chair Senator Mary Kunesh, that would create a pilot program to improve education outcomes and accountability by concentrating on strategies and supports that will increase academic achievement for students of color. The committee also heard Senator Westlin’s SF 418 that would require suicide prevention information on student identification cards and two bills authored by Senate Education Policy Chair Steve Cwodzinski; SF 1031 that would modify the membership of the Minnesota State High School League board and SF 1462, which strikes obsolete language pertaining to the administrative duties of PELSB.
Bill Introductions.
House (Monday, February 13)
HF 1589–Creates Special Education Teacher Pipeline Program
HF 1599–Requires Students Complete Online Personal Finance Course for Graduation
HF 1628–Provides Full Funding for Transportation of Homeless Students
HF 1629–Expands the Learning with Music Program
HF 1691–Modifies Teacher Probationary Period
HF 1694–Repeals Local Option Revenue and Replaces it with All-Aid Supplemental Revenue
HF 1725–Appropriates Money for the Minnesota Center for the Book
Senate (Monday, February 13)
SF 1559–Requires District Advisory Committee to Observe the Open Meeting Law
SF 1564–Creates Special Education Teacher Pipeline Program
SF 1601–INCREASES REFERENDUM EQUALIZATION
SF 1607–Creates Licensed School Nurse Position in the Minnesota Department of Education
SF 1641–Modifies Teacher Licensure and Teacher Preparation Programs