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

Legislative News and Views - Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL)

Back to profile

Legislative Update - May 4, 2018

Friday, May 4, 2018

Dear Neighbors,

There are just over two weeks to go in our legislative session. In these final days, I expect we will be on the House Floor for lengthy periods as we work toward compromises on the state budget, tax conformity, and a public infrastructure bill. I’ll be working to ensure final legislation reflects the values we all care about, like giving our kids an opportunity for a great education, protecting our seniors, and standing up for workers. Here’s an update from St. Paul.

Emergency Education Funding

We all value education in Minnesota, but our schools are being asked to do more with less, and many districts are facing significant funding shortfalls. This week I joined Governor Mark Dayton at a press conference announcing a plan to deliver Emergency School Aid to school districts throughout Minnesota. Layoffs of teachers and other key staff lead to larger class sizes and lowered quality, and ultimately, our students lose out.

House Image

Under the plan, districts would receive $137.9 million in one-time funding to increase school resources by two percent in the coming year, amounting to an additional $126 for every student in Minnesota. In the case of the Chisholm School District, for instance, they are facing a $1 million deficit. This presents extremely difficult choices about which teachers and other staff that may need to be cut. This new funding would equate to one less teacher and one less paraprofessional that would need to be cut. We are all going to keep working on a more permanent solution, but this will put us in the right direction toward ensuring all of our students can get the quality education families count on.

Wild Rice Standard

The Minnesota House recently passed a bipartisan measure to repeal the state’s obsolete sulfate standard for wild rice waters. While all of us recognize the importance of wild rice, the sulfate standard in law was based on outdated science and was clearly unenforceable. Further, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency had been advancing a proposal for a new set of sulfate standards, but administrative law judges rejected them. After passage of the bill and the latest ALJ ruling, the MPCA thankfully withdrew their proposed rulemaking process. Moving ahead, I’ll remain committed to working with everyone at the table to come up with a solution that protects our economy and natural resources, like wild rice and water.

Broadband Inadequately Funded

Since entering the Legislature last year, I’ve worked extremely hard to deliver better broadband internet to areas with substandard service or without service at all in Minnesota. While the Omnibus Jobs and Energy Finance Bill contained another $15 million for our Border to Border Broadband Grant Program, we need to do much more. Economic opportunity continues to pass us by, and the one thing that can help diversify our economy is expanded broadband.

Many students desperately need high-speed internet to do their homework. Some students go to school well before the school day starts just so they can access the internet. Individuals and businesses need access to file taxes and accomplish other tasks. While some of my colleagues speak of the virtues of cellular and satellite internet, these are quite expensive and not reliable. In some areas, wireless telephone service is miles and miles away. I’ll keep working to make sure all families and businesses can have the reliable, fast internet they deserve in every corner of our state.

Small Business Week

Governor Dayton proclaimed Tuesday as Small Helps All Day, in commemoration of Business Week. This week marks National Small Business Week. The United States has celebrated Small Business Week since 1963, which commemorates the contributions of entrepreneurs and small business owners. Minnesota has more than 503,000 small businesses, which employ approximately 1.2 million people. Overall, small businesses employ approximately 47 percent of Minnesota’s workforce. Simply, they represent much of the backbone of our Main Street economy, and I’m committed to creating an environment where they can continue to thrive in Minnesota.

This morning, I got to judge a virtual “Shark Tank” at Hibbing High School. Students were tasked with identifying a problem in the community and finding a solution to remediate it. These kids were incredibly creative and thoughtful, and developed some really good ideas. I want to congratulate Mrs. Lindstrom for challenging her students to dream big with no boundaries.

Please continue to contact me with your input on issues important to you. Enjoy the weekend.

Sincerely,

Julie Sandstede

State Representative