Neighbors,
It has been a busy week at the Capitol as I introduce my bills to help Minnesota families.
I’m proud to be the co-author on HF742, which protects victims of sexual assault, makes it easier to report sexual assault, and increases access to education on sexual assault for our college freshmen in both public and private universities. I believe that this bill is an important step forward for our sisters, daughters, and all students that will allow us to reduce the incidences of sexual assault on our campuses and in our communities.
In the Higher Education Policy and Finance committee on Wednesday, I discussed HF1022, which closes a loophole in current child care grant eligibility standards to allow more Minnesota families the opportunity to partake in the grant program. As childcare costs rise, it is important that we protect Minnesota families’ budgets and allow them the opportunity to choose the childcare system that best fits their needs, as well as their children’s needs.
I also presented two bills in the Education Innovation committee hearing held yesterday, HF1237 and HF804. HF1237 requires that school districts provide training opportunities to educate paraprofessionals to better understand the educational impacts caused by the behavioral, emotional, mental, or physical disabilities of the students to which they are responsible. HF804 affords school districts the opportunity to contract with case management technology providers that best suit their needs, as well as spend more time focused on students, and less time learning a complicated new system. These bills will help us better serve our special education students, and I believe they provide an invaluable, positive impact for families in our community.
Last night, we passed HF2 off of the House floor. I believe that this bill is an important step towards ensuring that every child has a world-class education. This bill will allow our school districts the opportunity to hire and retain high-quality teachers for every classroom. In particular, HF2 allows local teachers and school officials the ability to set their own standards for retention and layoffs, gives them the opportunity to tap into community talent for classroom teachers, and makes it easier for qualified out-of-state teachers to obtain Minnesota teacher licensure. I’m proud to be a co-author of this legislation, which will empower our school districts and teachers to educate our students.
I know that education is one of the most important topics to our constituents, and it is an honor to be your voice on these issues. Please continue to share your thoughts so that I can better represent you at the Capitol. You can meet with me in my office any time by calling my Legislative Assistant at (651) 296-8891, or share your thoughts via email by emailing me at rep.drew.christensen@house.mn.
Thank you for your involvement.
Rep. Drew Christensen