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Greetings from the Capitol,
I had my first bill, House File 2174, signed into law. This law will allow up to five full-time equivalent positions in Ramsey County be established in a supported work program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The action will potentially provide savings to Ramsey County, have no impact on the state’s budget, and most importantly, will establish employment opportunities for 5 to 15 individuals with disabilities.
Budget negotiations with the Governor continued this week and progress is being made. The budget proposal amounts from both the Legislature and the Governor have gotten closer in dollar amounts, so I am still hopeful that we can complete our work on time before the session adjourns on Monday at midnight.
Teacher Licensure Reform Veto:
Last year, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) put forward recommendations based on an audit that found that Minnesota’s teacher licensure structure is in need of significant reform. Since the release of the audit, the chairs of the education committees in the legislature, as well as other representatives, senators, and stakeholders, have been working diligently to come to a conscientious on what reforms need to occur. A task force was established between the House and the Senate that worked a total of 1000 hours over a span of 25 meetings, developing 45 different iterations on reforming the teacher licensure process. A bipartisan/nonpartisan solution was developed in the form of House File 140.
House File 140 addresses the recommendations by the OLA through:
- Establishing a tiered licensure framework (Professional Educator Licensing Board) that ensures high standards, clear expectations, consistency, transparency, and identifies several accessible and affordable pathways for teacher licensure.
- Incorporating the unique and valuable skill-set of CTE (career and technical education) instructors within the tiered framework, including recognition of industry-related professional credentials and verifiable work experience.
I am disappointed by the Governor’s veto as there is support from almost every education-related association for the legislation. My predecessor worked on this issue prior to my efforts. It is truly a bipartisan solution for the benefit of our families, students,and teachers.
REAL ID:
On Wednesday, the House and Senate both passed the conference committee report of House File 3, making Minnesota REAL ID compliant; the Governor signed the bill into law Thursday morning.
In case you may have forgotten: REAL ID was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2005 with the intention of making it more difficult for potential terrorists to falsify an identification card. According to the federal law, all 50 states need to be in compliance before January 22, 2018.
With passage of this bill into law, Minnesotans will be able to continue to board airplanes, as well as visit military bases and federal facilities using the appropriate identification. The differences between the new REAL ID and a current driver's license are minimal. The REAL ID verifies the license holder’s legal status in the United States and ensures residence of only one state. In order to address some people’s concerns about privacy, the bill that has passed allows individuals a choice of REAL-ID or a standard driver’s license.I am very pleased that this measure is now law.
Contact Me:
For any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-0141 or rep.randy.jessup@house.mn.
Thank you for allowing me to represent you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
