The deadline for policy bills is March 14.  The deadline for funding bills is March 28.  Legislators write hundreds of bills.  A bill must be acted on favorably in the appropriate committee before the deadlines for it to stay in consideration for a floor vote or inclusion in the final education omnibus bill. 

I have listed the education bills that have been heard this week and will be heard next week at the end of this update to give you an idea of the bills that are being considered.

1. The state will assume paying the $1 billion dollars generated yearly by the General Education Levy and thus provide significant property tax relief to all property owners.
2. The state will impose a new sales tax on services to generate $1 billion dollars a year to pay for the new on-going obligation to our schools.  

The legislature liked the property tax relief and resisted the new service sales tax.  So Ventura, Tim Pawlenty - then Speaker of the House and Roger Moe - then Senate Majority Leader worked out a compromise.  They passed the first part of the legislaton but not the second part that would have defined a new revenue stream.  The state paid the new $1 billion dollars obligation to our schools that year with one-time state surplus dollars. 

Ironically, the current state deficit is $935 million dollars which is equivalent to the $1 billion dollar yearly obligation to our schools that the state assumed in 2001.  If the state had responsibly established a revenue stream back then, perhaps the state would be able to ride out this economic slowdown without making painful cuts now.

1. Plan a visit to the capitol.  Sit in on a committee meeting. Visit with your legislators.  These are powerful ways to let the legislators know you support our public schools.  Our children can not advocate for themselves, we must do it for them.  I'd be happy to help you contact your legislators and meet you at the capitol so please don't hesitate to contact me at deb.griffiths@schoolsforequity.org.
2. We are waiting for Governor Tim Pawlenty's proposal to balance the budget.  He has stated that he will keep cuts "out of the classroom".  Yet, any cut to education funding will eventually make it way into the classroom regardless.  Please call or write the Governor and let him know that our schools cannot afford ANY cuts at all. 

The Governor contact information is:

Telephone:  651-296-3391

Toll Free:  800-657-3717

Email:  tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

HF2860 (Olin) Independent School District No. 356, Lancaster transition revenue adjusted.
HF2980 (Benson) School facilities formulas modified, additional districts qualified for alternative facilities revenue, and deferred maintenance revenue and leased facilities levy increased.
HF2846 (Greiling) School district alternative facilities bonding eligibility standards modified.
HF2475 (Greiling) School district capital facilities bond repayment time period extended.
HF3022 (Juhnke) Independent School District No. 347, Willmar, school site minimum acreage requirement waived.
HFXXXX (Faust) School facilities

HF2625 (Slocum) P-16 statewide education partnerships required to include
legislators. (informational only)
HF2783 (Swails) P-20 education partnership established.
HF3816 (Mariani) Education agencies allowed to share educational data in order
to improve school instruction. (informational only)
HF2624 (Urdahl) Teacher quality improvement task force established for
effectively integrating secondary and postsecondary academic and career
education.