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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Mark Uglem (R)

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Legislative Update from Rep. Mark Uglem

Friday, April 27, 2018

Dear Neighbors,

On Tuesday, the House approved its supplemental education omnibus bill. This year’s bill focuses heavily on school safety initiatives that ensure our students are able to learn in a safe and secure environment.

Additionally, the bill increases transparency in a number of areas related to education, and helps prepare kids for a bright and successful future.

Here are some highlights from the legislation:

  • 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
  • Tackling our state’s achievement gap by doubling audits of school funding to increase transparency and 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

Ensuring our students are safe at school is a top priority for myself and leaders in our community. Today’s legislation makes real investments in the physical security of our schools as well as improved access to mental health care and this community based approach will go a long ways in keeping children safe.

Staying in Touch

We need all the help we can get to remove any leftover opioids left in homes that need proper disposal. 

That’s why I’m asking you to take part in the 15th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and is taking place this Saturday, April 28. Learn more and locate a collection site near you on the Minnesota’s Hospitals: Strengthening Healthy Communities website and on the DEA website.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 651-296-5513 or emailing me at rep.mark.uglem@house.mn.

Thank you,

Mark