Thank you all
I want to thank each of you who took the time to share your concerns about the 70% bill with your elected officials.

It appears that the 70% bill is dead, for now. On TPT's Almanac this week, Governor Pawlenty made several comments about his 70% initiative and its chance of passing. He is not optimistic.

However, the more interesting comment is his perspective of why. His comment: "...these folks who are against all these changes are so change resistant I'm surprised they wear fresh underwear each day. I don't mean Steve and the Republicans but some of these folks who are complaining...."

Would the governor be referring to all of the parents who have been making their concerns known about this issue? What a statement from our governor! Listen to the entire interview (Almanac, March 10, 2006, Governor Tim Pawlenty Live! 16:25, scroll down). (Load the clip directly, use the clip position button to scroll to 15:25.)

This Week At the Capitol

In the Senate
Both the House and the Senate heard the Minnesota Department of Education's technical bill. This is where the rubber hits the road--where the department implements the law passed last session.

S.F. 2670 (Skoe-D-Clearbrook) Increasing equalizing factor for debt service.
S.F. 2959 (Stumpf-D-Thief River Falls) Education finance--reducing education property tax levies.
S.F. 2353 (LeClair-R-Woodbury) Indexing school funding formula equalizing factors.
S.F. 2701 (Skoe-D-Clearbrook) Increasing the referendum equalization levy factor.

All of the above bills deal with equalization. Without equalization aid, disparities arise between low property wealth and high property wealth districts. High property wealth districts have a greater percentage of commercial and industrial property within their district boundaries.

Local levies disproportionately place a higher burden on homeowners in low property wealth districts. Local levies that are in low property wealth districts can cost the homeowner significantly more than in a high property wealth district. These bills seek to provide more state aid to districts, replacing existing local dollars. But don't think this means schools will get more money--they don't. It is a mechanism to reduce property taxes and eventually open the door for a more receptive electorate for local levies.

The Senate Policy Committee heard the Rochester Higher Education Development Committee Report and the P-16 College Readiness Report. A P-16 report made to the Senate Policy Committee (Senator Steve Kelley, Chair) was extremely interesting. This committee, made up of a broad spectrum of stakeholders, is working to articulate high school and college curriculum, to aid in college and work readiness.

In the House
HF3178 (Emmer-R-Delano) Teachers charged with felonies subject to suspension without pay. This is a right in law held by the cities of the first class (St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth). This bill allows it for the rest of the state. Passed with recommendation to the Civil Law Committee.

HF3334 (Erickson-R-Princeton) Teacher preparation program report card established for colleges and universities. Passed with recommendation to the Higher Ed Committee.

Bills to watch
HF 3266 (Hornstein-D-Minneapolis) and SF 2912 (Kelley-D-Hopkins) Elementary and secondary class sizes reduced through voluntary incentive-based funding program, and money appropriated. These companion bills allow for districts to participate in voluntary class size reduction. I will be watching these bills closely.

S.F. 3073 (Clark-D-St. Cloud) National board certification. This bill establishes a grant program to promote professional teaching standards to provide teachers with the opportunity to receive the national board for professional teaching standards certification. It provides for granting of awards and appropriates money to the Commissioner of Education for the awards.

Also this week
The governor unveiled his supplemental budget. There are several nods to needed initiatives, like early childhood education, but the dollars are very limited.