Midnight Came and Went Without an Education Bill
As the clock ticked towards midnight last night, it became clear that there would be no education bill this session. Despite a year of considerable advocating by school board members, superintendents, administrators and educators across Minnesota, leaders could not come to an agreement on how to spend $1 billion for Minnesota's students and schools.
What we look for now is to see if Governor Walz will call a Special Session. He had said several times throughout the session that he would not call a Special Session and urged legislators to get their work done on time. Now, with so much at stake, Speaker Hortman has said the House stands ready to complete the work that didn't make it across the finish line. Majority Leader Miller hasn't ruled out a Special Session, but he didn't appear overly enthusiastic about one either.
There were two education bills that were signed into law by Governor Walz Sunday evening.
- Chapter 69, HF2353 protects Minnesota students from having their data be used in ways not relevant to the student’s educational experience. For example, having their data be sold by a vendor to marketing companies for research on children’s media consumption or technological habits.
- Chapter 78, SF3107 addresses the workforce shortage in Minnesota schools by increasing the maximum amount a school board member who is employed by the school district may earn from that employment.
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