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State Representative Kurt Zellers
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5502
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
OP/ED COLUMN
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Fellow District 32B residents,
This year over 2,500 bills were authored by members of the legislature.
Some of these bills become laws, but many do not. In an effort to wade
through all of these bills and give you an idea of what became law and
what was vetoed by the Governor, I will start a series of email updates
on the major issue areas. Some of these areas will include education,
environment, transportation, healthcare, taxes, and public safety, just
to name a few. As we go through this series I would encourage you to
contact me with any questions you might have about these topics. And
please contact me if you have a question or suggestion for a future
email update.
This week’s email update is a recap of the K-12 Omnibus Education
Bill.
The legislature put their stamp of approval on a $13.8 billion budget
for preschools through high school, giving education a $794 million
boost.
The House Republicans fought for equitable funding for all Minnesota
school districts. This year the per pupil formula increase was not as
high as many of us would have liked to see. The increase is only 2%
this year and 1% in the next, which comes to about $244 million. The
funding gap between our schools in the Osseo and Wayzata School
Districts, and those in Minneapolis grew even larger this year. In 2009
Minneapolis schools will receive $12,968 per pupil, while Osseo will
only receive $9,487 and Wayzata will get $9,313. With this funding
inequity the Democrats in Minnesota have made it clear all children are
not equal when it comes to education dollars.
The legislature did put more money into Special Education than they
have for many years. Approximately $330 million will go toward
fulfilling the state's obligation for special education costs. Special
Education costs are often a large part of a schools budget due to under
funded mandates passed down from the federal government. By funding
special education at a higher level school districts can use their
general fund money as they choose. And we can all agree that keeping
those important decisions at the local level is not only best for our
schools, but the very best for our students.
We restored funding for Early Childhood and Family Education to the
level before the 2003 budget reductions of $120 per child, up from $112
per child. Included in the education bill is about $32.5 million to
help fund all-day, every-day kindergarten. That will be on a voluntary
basis and school districts are not required to participate. We are
promoting education at the earliest years, while leaving the major
decisions where they belong: in the hands of the parents.
Another area to note is school technology funding. Funding for school
technology totaled $38 million in 2008 and $53 million in 2009 and will
help schools acquire the latest and best technology. Making sure our
students keep pace with changing technology is imperative to their
success not only here in Minnesota and the United States, but when they
compete in the global economy.
With the increased usage of technology in school and everyday
activities the legislature made a stand against electronic bullying.
Students are using websites, text messaging, and posting videos online
to embarrass or degrade fellow students. This type of bullying is not
only mean and hurtful to fellow students; it steals valuable teaching
and learning time from the classroom and the teachers. The bill, which
was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, would require
school boards to develop a policy prohibiting bullying in all forms,
including through electronic means. It adds to current language that
requires school districts to have an anti-bullying policy.
These are just a few of the many highlights on the education bill from
this year. If you have any questions about specific areas that are not
mentioned or if you would like a more detailed explanation of some of
the areas I disc
ussed – please feel free to contact me by replying to
this email or calling my office.
Thank you again for signing up for these Legislative Updates! And,
please email me with any questions or policy areas that you would like
to see explained or discussed in a future Legislative Update. Thank you,
again, for the privilege of representing you in St. Paul!
Best personal regards,
Kurt
News Items
- Legislative Update (April 20, 2013) - (Posted: Apr 20 2013 2:43PM)
- Zellers Statement on House DFL Budget Framework - (Posted: Mar 19 2013 4:57PM)
- ZELLERS STATEMENT ON FEBRUARY FORECAST - (Posted: Mar 1 2013 6:02PM)
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