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Funding of education in Minnesota will take center stage at the next session of the Minnesota Legislature where the DFL has control of both houses.

Voters showed their disapproval of under-funding public education at all levels by voting out key Republican conservatives. And they defeated many excess tax levies for schools, saying in no uncertain terms they want to see education funded by state dollars, rather than forcing more of the burden on the local property taxes.

In Minnesota, voters OK’d only 29 of 69 tax levy referendums to operate schools.

The Legislature forced local school boards to run new property tax levies to get needed operating dollars and in 69 districts last week, 40 said no.

Voters believe funding education adequately mostly is the state’s responsibility.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty will have his hands full trying to ward off DFL-controlled houses who no doubt will call for spending money for K-12 education and appropriating more money for higher education. He will have no choice but to sign on to more money for education or he’ll face another election bloodbath in 2008.

The property tax increases and their effect on people with fixed incomes is another message from this election.

The DFL pounded home the message that failure to raise state income and sales taxes and reducing aids to local governments led to higher property taxes. The voters said raising state taxes is preferable than funding schools in particular with property tax hikes.

Transportation, transit in particular, will get more attention from the DFL, who will insist that borrowing for highway projects is not the way to go, particularly having to skim money from other sources to pay the interest.

Many of the new legislators were elected and re-elected in the suburban communities where transportation bottlenecks and congestion are huge concerns. Now the DFL, which has many more suburban seats, has a chance to flex its muscles and develop long range planning and funding to improve roads, highways and transit.

Another message is health care. Voters want legislators who will pass legislation to make health care affordable and accessible to all. Look for the DFL to zero in on this important area.

Pawlenty will have to change his ways in dealing with the DFL’s new power in both houses. Voters are tired of the gridlock and they well remember that the government shutdown came on his watch.

The most powerful message in last week’s election is the public is sick and tired of a state government that dismantled programs that helped the weak and vulnerable, because of a pledge not to raise taxes. Increasing taxes for the good of all is the price of good citizenship.

Voters are giving the DFL party the opportunity to govern in a friendly, bi-partisan manner. Failure to do so will invite the voters’ wrath again.

Editor's note: Don Heinzman is editorial writer for ECM Publishers Inc., Coon Rapids.

http://www.abcnewspapers.com/2006/November/16education.html