Education Minnesota Voter Information – Senate District 14 Dear educator, Those elected this November will make decisions that directly impact your students, pocketbook, profession and union. Because of this, we wanted to provide some information on where the candidates for Minnesota Senate in your district stand on the issues educators have said they care about the most. A candidate’s position is sometimes more complicated than a “yes” or “no” answer. We have done our best to represent each candidate in a fair and reasonable way. The candidate’s statements were taken from Education Minnesota’s Candidate Questionnaire, unless noted otherwise. Do you believe in fully and equitably funding public education, from preschool to postsecondary institutions, with several billion dollars in new education investments? Aric Putnam Jerry Relph Supports fully funding the special education and English Learner Believes schools are already well-funded. Touted record levels of cross subsidies; tying per-pupil funding formula to inflation; smaller funding for schools despite there being no investment in increased class sizes; universal kindergarten; and expanding access to full- spending power in the last two decades.1 service community schools. Do you believe in raising revenue from the largest corporations and wealthiest 1 percent of residents to ensure Minnesota students have the resources they need to live successful lives? Aric Putnam Jerry Relph Recognizes the need for the Legislature to roll back some of its Wants to work to make the state more business friendly by cutting irresponsible tax cuts, such as the decrease in tobacco tax. Believes taxes and regulations. Considered state’s budget surplus as an large corporations benefit from a trained workforce, so they should opportunity for reducing taxes for the wealthiest 1 percent.2 help pay for it. Will you support legislation so all education support professionals earn a living wage? Aric Putnam Jerry Relph Yes. Worked in 2017 to override paid sick leave ordinances in Minneapolis and St. Paul and short-circuit some communities’ efforts to increase the minimum wage above the statewide level.3 How would you support Minnesota’s higher education system? Aric Putnam Jerry Relph Supports fully funding public higher education in Minnesota. Will Voted for a higher education budget which moved funds from the work to freeze tuition and find creative ways for teachers to repay Minnesota State Two-Year Public College Program to other areas.4 student loan debt. How do we make our schools safer for both students and educators? Aric Putnam Jerry Relph Recognizes that any policy that improves relationships between Believes increasing funding for mental health professionals in students and adults makes schools safer. Supports smaller class schools to help identify and treat students with mental illness will sizes, more support staff and professional development to make make schools safer.5 schools safer. Feels teachers must be involved with safety decisions. Voted for the 2018 bonding bill that included $25 million for safety measures in buildings. Schools could use these funds to cover the costs of new or enhanced facility improvements for safety. But voted against the tax bill that would have provided more.8 Will you support providing additional resources for school districts to hire more support staff, including counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses and other job classifications? Aric Putnam Jerry Relph Supports providing additional student support staff, including Stated support for funding for mental health professionals in schools counselors, social workers, psychologists and nurses to give students to help schools identify and treat students with mental illness.5 the guidance they need. Voted for the 2019 Senate E-12 Omnibus bill, which provided a .5 percent increase to the education funding formula, well below the cost of inflation. It included zero funding for additional support staff, paraprofessional training and the special education cross-subsidy.8 How would you support unions and the issues addressed in a collectively bargained contract? Aric Putnam Jerry Relph Will consult organized labor on votes that have implications for As a member of the state Senate, his Republican caucus threatened members. Work to fight all efforts to undermine the existence of to cut the pay of state workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. unions. Those workers included people on the front lines in the fight against the virus, including nurses, epidemiologists and other health care workers.7 In 2018, voted for the Omnibus Finance Bill, which underfunded a wide range of public services for the working people of Minnesota. It also contained several provision opposed by organized labor, including censoring teachers, interfering with state employee union contract negotiations and weakening the unions of working people in the public sector.1 How will you address racial and social justice issues in your work as a state legislator? Aric Putnam Jerry Relph Believes involving the community in public safety is the only way to Was among a group of Republican senators who blocked a package make change in our law enforcement system to create something of police accountability and reform proposals supported by the that works for people of all races, ages and ZIP codes. Considers Legislature’s People of Color and Indigenous Caucus following the income inequality to stem from stagnant wages, increased health police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.6 care costs and unaffordable housing. Recognizes need to reform how we fund and oversee housing options and resources available to those experiencing homelessness. Comments were also taken from Minnesota Senate Republicans post 7/9/19 (1), St. Cloud Times article 9/15/16 (2), KROC News article 4/20/17 (3), Minnesota Senate Republicans post 4/20/18 (4), Senator Jerry Relph Facebook video update 4/19/18 (5), ABC News article 6/12/20 (6), MinnPost article 5/1/20 (7) and AFL-CIO legislative report card (8). Educators from your area took part in the endorsement process which helped shape the decision to endorse Aric Putnam for Minnesota Senate. Candidates who chose to screen with Education Minnesota took part in a public meeting, roundtable Q&A and/or school visit. Educators in your area recommended the candidate to the Education Minnesota Political Action Committee for endorsement. The PAC is made up of 23 educators from districts all over the state. Jerry Relph chose not to participate in the screening or complete the questionnaire for Education Minnesota’s endorsement. This independent expenditure was prepared and paid for by Education Minnesota PAC, 41 Sherburne Ave., St. Paul, MN 55103 in support of Aric Putnam. The material is not approved by Aric Putnam nor is Aric Putnam responsible for it. 2010.