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State Representative Joyce Peppin
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7806
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
NEWS COLUMN
Representative Joyce Peppin the only legislator to score 100% by LEA
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As the legislative session moves forward, we continue to prioritize reforms that will generate positive and lasting effects on Minnesota’s economy, and remain committed to private sector job growth and economic recovery.
In this update:
1. Education Reforms Pass House
2. State of the State Address
3. LEA Award
1. Education Reforms Pass House
Education reform was our top priority in the House this week, and the timing was appropriate. Sub-par ratings from The National Council on Teacher Quality necessitate a hard look at our state’s teacher training policies. Minnesota received a ‘C’ for both delivering well-prepared teachers and retaining effective teachers. Frankly, we can – and must – do better for our children.
House File 1770 and House File 1870 aim to combat these poor ratings and ensure our schools are hiring and retaining the best and most effective teachers.
The House with bi-partisan and unanimous support passed House File 1770 on Monday. The bill requires teacher candidates to receive a passing grade on the basic skills exam before receiving a teaching license. State law currently requires the test but still allows those who do not pass it to lead a classroom on a probationary basis up to three years. When we stipulate that teacher candidates must excel at their own reading, writing, and arithmetic, we can feel confident that our children will successfully learn those subjects as well.
On Thursday the House passed House File 1870 that would eliminate the state-mandated “Last In/First Out” (LIFO) policy that prioritizes seniority over teacher performance in the unfortunate event of staff layoffs.
The elimination of LIFO is about putting children first and not expecting anything but the best for our students. Organizations and newspapers around the state agree. Our LIFO reform bill has been endorsed by the Minnesota Business Partnership, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Students First, MinnCan, Minnesota School Boards Association, and Put Kids First. In addition, supportive editorials have been released in the Star Tribune, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Duluth News Tribune, and Fergus Falls Journal.
When schools conduct seniority-based layoffs, they end up firing some of our most highly effective educators, and that isn’t right. Time and again we have heard anecdotal accounts of Teachers of the Year being laid off due to LIFO mandates. Or simply, we have been shocked by our state’s poor teacher policy rating. Education reform is necessary in our state, and now is the time to generate change.
I invite you to visit our Reform 2.0 website’s bill tracker to learn more about upcoming reforms that are moving through the committee process.
2. State of the State Address
I was pleased to host Chris Kauffman of Hanover for Governor Dayton’s State of the State address on Wednesday evening. Chris is owner of K-Manufacturing in Maple Grove and serves on the Hanover City Council.
The Governor was cordial during his speech, as he has been at frequent times during his term of office. This was a welcome change from his recent media blasts calling the Legislature “extreme” and “unfit to govern,” and labeling local businesses and chambers of commerce who support our bills “wrong-doers.”
I agree with the Governor that job creation is our number one priority this session. However, I respectfully part ways with him and do not believe that borrowing and creating considerable state debt is the way to achieve that goal.
During his speech, Governor Dayton called for three jobs proposals based upon stopgap stimulus spending that would, in short, require significant taxpayer funds and possibly push the state budget out of the black and into the red.
The Governor proposes to borrow $775 million (plus interest) to pay for capital investment projects, but many are localized projects that do not benefit statewide interests. The Legislature last year spent $500 million on bonding projects because they fit within our budget. If there is to be another capital investment bill this year, it should be significantly less than the Governor’s $775 million figure.
Secondly, the Governor spoke of taxpayer funding for a Vikings stadium, yet he was short on specifics as to how the state will contribute hundreds of millions of dollars for a new venue. I do not support public funding of a Vikings stadium and believe any bill that seeks to raise taxes to build a stadium must contain a provision to allow for a referendum.
And lastly, the Governor wants to provide $3,000 tax credits to employers who hire certain workers. While this idea may be appealing at first glance, the proposal was tried with little success in the mid-1980s when the state was suffering through an economic downturn.
Businesses have told us time and again that they need government to step out of the way, cut red tape, and reduce burdensome regulations. That is what our Reform 2.0 agenda aims to do. We want to go beyond the status quo of stimulus spending and temporary government jobs to generate reform that will create long-term economic recovery.
3. LEA Award
Last night, I was privileged to be named the top-scoring legislator and Honoree of the Legislative Evaluation Assembly (LEA) for 2011(www.mnlea.org). The LEA is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that rates the voting records of legislators on their adherence “to the traditional American principles of constitutionalism, limited government, free enterprise, legal and moral order with justice and individual liberty and dignity.”
As always it is a pleasure to serve you in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns about the legislative session.
Have a great weekend,
Joyce
News Items
- PEPPIN REPORT: NW SUBURBAN FAMILIES WILL BE HIT HARD UNDER DAYTON AND DFL BUDGET - (Posted: May 28 2013 4:35PM)
- Rep. Peppin’s bill would lessen unfair fiscal disparities tax burden on Rogers - (Posted: Apr 3 2013 9:36AM)
- PEPPIN REPORT: FEBRUARY FORECAST REVEALS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE STATE SURPLUS - (Posted: Feb 28 2013 12:00AM)
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