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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen (R)

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Legislative Update from Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen

Friday, February 12, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

I have heard from many of you about concerns you have regarding school closures. While schools around the nation and globe have had their doors open during the pandemic, Governor Walz has unilaterally decided to keep most of Minnesota’s schools closed to in-person learning.

These closures are causing significant damage to student’s academic achievement and mental health. It’s time to get our schools open.

With thousands of Minnesota students still in remote learning and school reopening guidance rumored in the coming days from the Walz administration, House Republicans held a news conference Thursday to push for legislation that would empower local school districts to make the best decisions for their districts and remove the Governor's ability to unilaterally keep schools closed. 

We understand that local school boards, administrators, teachers, parents, and students know their communities best. It’s time to empower these groups to work collaboratively to make decisions that are in the best interests of their specific situations.

The science and data show we can safely get our students back in the classroom — even President Biden's Centers for Disease director said multiple times last week that we can safely return to in-person learning before all teachers are vaccinated. 

Our students cannot afford to wait any longer, it’s time to get kids back in school. I have parochial schools in my district and they are open with in-class teaching. In one case the parochial school had some COVID-19 cases. Administrators decided to go to a hybrid distance learning model for about 2 weeks at the end of which the school returned to in-class learning. This demonstrates local control, not one size fits all damaging dictates from the Governor.

Staying in Touch

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns as it relates to state government. I can be reached at 651-296-4229 or via email at rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn.

Have a great day,

Glenn