Last Week in Summary
Week five of session started swiftly with House committee hearings now up and running. Hundreds of House bills have been introduced since last Monday, and hundreds are waiting to be drafted. House Republicans are in control of committees for now, with the upcoming special election on March 11 potentially bringing the House back to a tie. Republicans are moving quickly on bills and intend to make a strong push on several of their top priorities. They are focused on addressing fraud and improper payments made to organizations or other recipients. Unlike other committees that may shift to co-chair control and equal partisan representation, the Fraud Prevention committee will keep a GOP majority for the next two years.
The Senate is moving along, settling into DFL-led committee hearings. With their counterpart now fully operational, Senate committee chairs are packing their agendas and ramping up their own activity. We can expect non-stop action in both bodies for the coming weeks.
House Education Finance
In the first House Education Finance committee hearing since the standoff, members heard a presentation from MDE’s Cathy Erickson and Adosh Unni on Governor Walz’s education budget recommendations.
Notable items in the budget that were discussed included the extension of a hold-harmless provision for the compensatory revenue calculation into FY 2026, UI funding, and a percentage rate reimbursement for Special Education transportation. Additionally, the budget proposes a modification to Student Support Personnel Aid use, which would give schools more flexibility in how they use the funds.
More presentations were delivered throughout the week, with MDE testifying on its federal and administrative funding. Of the federal funds MDE receives (about 10% of the budget), MDE spends about 15% on employee compensation and other agency operating costs. The remainder is spent on aids and grants.
Some representatives questioned the constant growth in government departments (i.e. the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families), while school districts are being crushed. Concerns from school districts about budget cuts were voiced.
House Education Policy
The House Education Policy Committee began with a special review from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on MDE’s oversight of Feeding our Future. On Wednesday, the committee heard HF6, a bill that would modify the READ Act, with Chair Bennett (R-Albert Lea) as the author. The proposed changes would allow districts to implement innovative programs without approval from the commissioner, transfer funds among accounts and budgets, and allow districts to delay compliance with specific mandates enacted in 2023 and 2024. Rep. Mueller (R-Austin) stated that the READ Act, as is, is overregulated and underfunded. Rep. Jordan (D-Minneapolis) said there is a clear need for this bill to appear before multiple other committees, not just Education. The bill passed out of committee and was referred to House Education Finance.
In the coming weeks, the committee is likely to hear HF22, a bill known as the “Parent’s Bill of Rights.” HF22 was first heard in the Children and Families Finance and Policy committee last week. This bill states that the government and its agencies cannot interfere with a parent’s fundamental right to make decisions about their child’s upbringing, education, and health care. Parents would have full authority over these matters without government interference.
Senate Education Finance
MDE gave an update on the implementation of the READ Act and Universal School Meals, with positive testimonies from parents and school teachers singing the praises of these programs.
Senate Education Policy
In Senate Education Policy, Sen. Mann (D-Edina) brought forth SF508 which proposes prohibiting cell phones and smart watches in school for students in grades K-8 and prohibiting cell phones and smart watches in classrooms for students in grades 9-12. Teachers and administrators testified on how cell phone use is getting worse, possibly also due to teachers and administrators getting more consistent with logging data.
Although all agreed cell phone use in schools has become a monster of an issue, some testifiers argued it should be left up to the schools to decide on their cell phone policy, instead of a statewide ban. Sen. Mann assured this bill was simply reinforcing something that schools are already doing, but concerns of more unfunded mandates remain.
Student mental health was discussed in Wednesday’s hearing. Senators heard from multiple school social workers, all voicing concerns about the rise in mental health issues. Senators and testifiers alike continue to search for solutions.
This Week at the Legislature
S Ed. Policy
- SF 0507 (Mann) Districts requirement to adopt policies and processes to assist parents who require language assistance
- SF 0360 (Farnsworth) Required mathematics academic standards and credit requirements modification
S Ed. Finance
- SF 0949 (Maye Quade) Registered special education apprenticeship programs in intermediate school districts grants appropriation
