Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Legislative News and Views - Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL)

Back to profile

State Rep. Carlos Mariani: Minnesota Students Deserve Better

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

SAINT PAUL, MINN — Tuesday night the Minnesota House passed a Republican education finance package on a 72-59 vote. House DFL Representatives strongly opposed the measure for funding levels that would fail to keep pace with inflation and cause cuts in Minnesota school districts. State Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL-St. Paul), House DFL Lead on the Education Innovation Policy Committee, released the following statement:

“There are thousands of Minnesota students whose futures are wholly dependent on our actions to support students, families and their schools. This Republican legislature is failing them. Republicans have misplaced the high value Minnesotans put on education and replaced it with their political arrogance in these budget negotiations, as they use education as a bargaining chip.

"This Republican education budget will not meet the needs of our kids, and it will do significant harm to efforts that we have made to open opportunities to communities who have been overlooked by our state. This bill won’t address those specific needs because it can’t even keep pace with the rate of inflation for the cost of providing education in our schools.

“Democrats care deeply about strong public schools, and we won’t play political games with the future of our kids. I encourage Governor Dayton to veto this inadequate education finance bill.”

###