ST. PAUL, MN – State Representative Mary Sawatzky (DFL – Willmar) was recently appointed by House Speaker Paul Thissen to serve on the Legislative Permanent School Fund Commission.
When Minnesota became a state in 1858, the federal government granted sections 16 and 36 of every township, or their equivalent, to the State for the use of schools. The Minnesota Constitution established the Permanent School Fund (PSF) to ensure a long-term source of funds for public education in the state. The PSF consists of the accumulated revenues generated from the land. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is responsible for managing the school trust land, which currently totals about 2.5 million acres, plus an additional 1 million acres of severed mineral rights.
The Minnesota Legislature established the Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee (PSFAC) to review DNR land management policies, advise the DNR on the management of trust land, and recommend necessary changes in statute, policy, and implementation in order to insure provident utilization of the permanent school fund lands.
“These lands belong to the school children of Minnesota and we have every obligation to manage these lands properly and ensure that our children and their schools receive as much money from them as possible,” said Rep. Sawatzky. “While we’re increasing funding for education in our budget, we still have work to do to dig out of a decade of disinvestment in our schools. I will continue to work and support efforts to do just that.”
Rep. Sawatzky encourages constituents to contact her with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas on any legislative topic. Rep. Sawatzky can be reached by phone at 651-296-6206 or by email at rep.mary.sawatzky@house.mn. Constituents can also visit Rep. Sawatzky’s AreaVoices blog, legislative page and sign up for email updates.