Dear Neighbors,
This week was the start of hearing our large bills in a number of topic areas. We passed our legislation related to education and school safety yesterday, and more are on the calendar for next week. I’m pleased with the progress we’re making for the state, as well as for our area. There’s going to be lots of news coming from St. Paul in the next few weeks, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated.
School Safety
Yesterday, the House passed our bill that’s geared toward education and, more specifically, school safety. I’m thankful to have my legislation to create threat assessment teams passed with our education bill because I think it’s one piece of a larger puzzle in helping to create safer environments in classrooms. As a whole, our bill helps to keep our students, teachers, and staff safer in school, and I'm proud to support all of our safety provisions.
Some of the highlights of this bill include:
- Championing a multifaceted approach to give school districts the resources and flexibility they need to address student safety and security. That includes expanding the use of long-term facilities maintenance revenue for facility security upgrades, strengthening the state’s commitment to school-linked mental health grants, supporting suicide prevention training for teachers, increasing funding for Safe Schools Revenue, and more
- Strengthening and clarifying state law to address teacher misconduct and teacher licensure including prohibiting sexual relationships between educators and students, even if that student is 18; requiring periodic teacher background checks; and prohibiting the issuance or renewal of a teacher/administrative license or bus driver endorsement for certain felonies or gross misdemeanors involving a minor
- Requiring the Minnesota Department of Education to create a School Report Card —a one-stop-spot for summative and easily accessible school and district ratings that will provide families with a place to research, compare and help determine which school will work best for their child
- Enhancing the transparency of school funding and our commitment to tackling our state’s achievement gap by doubling the number of school audits each year. These audits will discern whether or not education dollars allocated to school districts and dedicated to special education, English-learner and low-income students are reaching the students intended
- Ensuring students are exposed to a wide variety of post-secondary options including the trades and branches of the military
- Strengthening laws that protect kids from school lunch shaming
- Creating a Special Education Working Group to engage stakeholders and examine the factors that are driving rising costs
Local Event
Today I was honored to attend an event with Cottage Grove native Brigadier General Gregory Gutterman at the American Legion in St. Paul Park. Brig. Gen. Gutterman is retiring soon, and wanted to come back to his community and thank the Legion and other community members for supporting his family, youth sports teams, and development growing up in our area. It was amazing to see this level of gratitude from someone who’s reached such big heights in the U.S. Air Force. I want to thank Brig. Gen. Gutterman for taking the time to visit the Legion, and more importantly for his incredible service to our country.
Recent Interview
The South Washington County Telecommunications Commission does great work in covering local representatives in our area. I recently sat down for an interview with SWCTC to talk about some of the bills I passed, other bills I’m working on now, and more about my first term in the legislature. If you’re interested, you can see the full interview here.
Please Contact Me
The legislature will adjourn the session in just over three weeks, so please continue to call or email to talk about issues we’re facing. I need to know your opinions on the bills we discuss, and hope you’ll reach out.
Enjoy the weekend,
Keith