ST. PAUL, Minn. – A $5.3 billion education bill for K-12 schooling over three years passed a major hurdle. The House Education Finance Committee approved the bill 10-7 on a party-line vote – Democrats in favor, Republicans against. The bill next goes to the House Taxes Committee. The bill increases funding for special education and English-language programs, for student mental health, and for reading skills. A leading opponent, fiscal conservative Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, said the new spending would rob taxpayers. “Government has all it needs,” Drazkowski said. Gene Pelowski, D-Winona, a teacher, said the state education budget needs post-pandemic bolstering. “We’ve had a number of school districts that have tried to make up for what they’ve lost during the regular year by having summer classes. Well, that adds more stress and actually more cost to the system.” In the Senate, where a companion bill also is in committee, Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, expressed doubt about more school funding: “Every single year funding has gone up, but yet testing results have gone the other way. We need to do something different when it comes to education.”
Jim Davnie. Chief sponsor of House education bill. First elected to House 2000. A teacher. Retiring at end of this term.
Verbatim
Davnie, D-Minneapolis: “This bill is the product of listening to Minnesota, from improving educational opportunities to having a diverse and trained educational workforce to help all Minnesotans thrive.”