Dear Neighbors,
First, I’d like to wish a sincere congratulations to Sarah Nelson – a sixth-grade teacher at Hidden Oaks Middle School – for receiving the WCCO Teacher of Excellence Award! Congrats, Sarah; you deserve it!
Road to REAL ID Compliance
In the months leading up to the legislative session, I’ve heard from numerous constituents with concerns if they could fly on an airplane with their current ID card. Minnesota is not compliant with the federal REAL ID Act, and many thought their immediate flight plans could be disrupted. This week, the Legislature started down the path to compliance. The bill we passed allows the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) to study the cost, timeline, and other steps needed for our state to implement REAL ID.
This is great news for those concerned about flying or entering certain military bases with their current ID card. We have until 2018 to become compliant, and this bill likely gives us until 2020. Now that DPS can chart a path to REAL ID, our hope is to issue compliant licenses by October 1 of this year. If there’s one thing to remember it’s that there’s no reason to worry about your family’s travel plans.
Student Discipline Bill
We routinely see headlines in the newspaper relating to student discipline in our local schools. Sometimes administrators are quick to suspend or expel a student, while other times a disruptive student is allowed to stay in class at the expense of his or her classmates. In order to find better student discipline procedures, I’ve authored a bill, HF3313, to establish a student discipline working group.
My bill was heard on Tuesday in the Education Innovation Policy Committee. By creating a legislative working group, we could better study the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act (PFDA) and the effect it has on individual students and classroom learning environments. The group would then report to the Legislature with their recommendations for improved discipline in schools.
It’s time to find procedures that can help teachers and classrooms do what they’re intended to do: educate our young learners. I look forward to helping this bill make its way through the legislative process, and hopefully be signed into law by the governor.
St. Paul Visits
The first few weeks of session are great for spending time with constituents and other groups advocating for their cause. Earlier this week I met with some current U of M students to discuss their experience at the U. It’s always great meeting with students from my alma mater; Ski-U-Mah!
Please Contact Me
If you’re planning to be in St. Paul, please call my office so we can find a time to meet. I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions. You can reach me via phone at 651-296-8891, or via email at rep.drew.christensen@house.mn.
Enjoy your weekend,
Drew