Minnesota House of Representatives Session Weekly
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SESSION WEEKLY OMNIBUS BILLS BEGIN TO ARRIVE RESUSCITATING THE VOUCHER DEBATE FOUR FAIRS FOR FAR NORTH DEFUNDING FUNDED CAPITAL PROJECTS HF1050 - HF1197 A NONPARTISAN PUBLICATION MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES • PUBLIC INFORMATION SERVICES VOLUME 28, NUMBER 11 • MARCH 18, 2011 Flashback to 1991, 2001, 2006 Another decrease to state income taxes For the third consecutive year, Minnesotans would see a decrease in their state income taxes, under three bills heard by the House Wet and wild, but only with a life vest Taxes Committee. As you dust off your Jet Ski to get ready for a HF1, sponsored by Rep. Carl Jacobson (R-Vadnais Heights), and summer’s day on the lake, you might have to HF554 sponsored by Rep. Dan Dorman (R-Albert Lea) would reduce brush up on a new law, too. the state’s lowest and highest tax bracket rates by 0.50 percent. The middle rate would be lowered by 0.75 percent. HF74, sponsored The House Environment and Natural Resources by Rep. Ron Erhardt (R-Edina) would reduce all three rates by Committee approved HF633 proposed by 0.50 percent. Rep. Anthony Kinkel (DFL-Park Rapids), which would regulate personal watercraft. — Session Weekly March 16, 2001 Under the bill, you’ll have to be at least 16 Funding for the arts and outdoors years old to operate a personal watercraft by yourself and be required to wear a life jacket A bill, HF3269, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Ozment (R-Rosemount) and watch when and where you use your “wet seeks a constitutional amendment to raise Minnesota’s sales and bike.” use tax by 0.25 percent to raise approximately $191 million a year over 25 years for arts and outdoors projects. According to the Department of Natural Resources 6,145 personal watercraft were In the House Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources registered in the state in 1990. Finance Committee, Ozment successfully amended the bill to remove the arts and cultural items. — Session Weekly March 15, 1991 Rep. Jean Wagenius (DFL-Mpls) cautioned against removing the arts and humanities items “mainly because I would want this to pass as a constitutional amendment and that guarantees that it passes.” — Session Weekly March 17, 2006 Contents SESSION WEEKLY Session Weekly is a nonpartisan publication FIRST READING: Limited scholarships for low-income students • 3-4 of Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services. Produced HIGHLIGHTS: Abortion, budget targets and omnibus bills begin to surface • 5-18 during session, it covers the previous week’s news from the House. No fee. BILL INTRODUCTIONS: HF1050–HF1197 • 19-22 Session Weekly (ISSN 1049-8176) is published RESOURCES: Roster of the Minnesota House of Representatives • 23 weekly during the legislative session by Minnesota House of Representatives Public MINNESOTA INDEX: Minnesota Roads and Traffic Collisions • 24 Information Services, 175 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, Minn., and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Session Weekly, House Public Information Services, 175 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Printed on recycled paper which is 50% recycled, 50% post-consumer content. On the cover: Angelique McDonald, a page for the House Property and Local Tax Division, kneels to find a bill for a lobbyist outside the division hearing March 11. — Photo by Tom Olmscheid FIRST READING A voucher by any other name Bill would create limited scholarships for low-income students BY KRIS BERGGREN “The challenge in front of us is to make group of fresh-faced, uniform-clad educational achievement less predictable. We students came to the testifying table can predict by ZIP code, family income and skin color how a student will do,” said Rep. A one by one before the House Education Jim Davnie (DFL-Mpls). Finance Committee March 14 to tell members Instead of opening an escape hatch for a few students by offering vouchers, Davnie about their education at Cristo Rey High School, believes the state should invest in targeted a Catholic school in Minneapolis. services, such as extending school hours or offering summer school for all students who need them. For example, a 2010 report by Contrasting the Jesuit-run institution with vouchers an effective way to outsource a job the Office of the Legislative Auditor found previous public schools they’d attended, the the state hasn’t been able to do, namely, close K-8 students who attended extended-time students of various racial backgrounds said the achievement gap? Or are they a serious programs at alternative learning centers it offers personal attention, has boosted infringement on the public trust to fund a showed higher-than-expected growth on two their college aspirations and provided the universal education system available to all? standardized assessments compared with structure and support they need to grow Woodard other students and personally and academically. sees targeted “The challenge in front of national norms. “It’s been great,” summed up Mohamed scholarships as a us is to make educational Michelle Ali, a senior who has participated in the free-market tool achievement less predictable. Walker, St. Paul YMCA Youth in Government program, expanding parents’ We can predict by ZIP code, Public Schools plans to attend college and is grateful for the school choices that chief accountability job experience with local employers that’s could improve family income and skin color officer, said part of the curriculum. educational how a student will do.” the district is The students spoke in support of HF273, outcomes for at- — Rep. Jim Davnie beginning to close which its sponsor, Rep. Kelby Woodard risk students. The DFL-Mpls the achievement gap (R-Belle Plaine), calls a “limited scholarship program would and turn around program for low-income families.” Payments take effect only in cities of the first class: failing schools by making such investments, up to the amount of the average general Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and Rochester. paring programs and closing failing schools. education per pupil revenue, currently $5,124, Those eligible would be families earning “Despite our progress, we have a long way would be made to a student’s parent or a maximum of 175 percent of the federal to go,” she said. “We are not shy at facing our guardian and sent to poverty level with a failures and confronting them head on.” She a nonpublic school, “These are the kids who are child who has spent urged members to stay the course by investing where the parent part of the achievement gap. at least one year in in what is beginning to show positive results, would endorse We need to educate, a school ranked as not create more options. the check for the not perpetuate.” low-performing school’s use. School — Rep. Kelby Woodard according to federal Choices abound participation would R- Belle Plaine guidelines for at Minnesota has been ahead of the curve as be voluntary. least three years. the first state to authorize charter schools The committee laid the bill over for “These are the kids who are part of the and was an early adopter of open enrollment, possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Sen. achievement gap,” Woodard said. “We need magnet schools and postsecondary Sean Nienow (R-Cambridge) sponsors to educate, not perpetuate.” enrollment options. a companion, SF388, which was laid DFL lawmakers appreciate Woodard’s There are also existing federally funded over March 17 by the Senate Education goal of tackling educational inequities, pathways authorized to help students Committee. but say vouchers are unconstitutional and in struggling schools. Under the federal The bill resuscitates a debate that highlights unnecessary given Minnesota’s existing school Elementary and Secondary Education Act fundamental party-line differences over choice options such as open enrollment, educational philosophy and strategy. Are charter schools and magnet schools. First Reading continued on page 4 March 18, 2011 Session Weekly 3 First Reading continued from page 3 program in St. Paul allowing low-income A 2002 United States Supreme Court families to choose a high-quality preschool they ruling said Ohio’s voucher program is — or No Child Left Behind — a student would not otherwise be able to afford or state constitutional because parents may choose attending a school not making federal grant aid for higher education, which students sectarian schools or not. Florida’s and proficiency or growth targets may transfer to may use at any higher education institution. Arizona’s supreme courts blocked voucher another school in the same district or receive Davnie said a key difference is that the state programs in 2006 and 2009, respectively. supplementary education services, such as doesn’t have a constitutional responsibility to Among other DFL members offering tutoring, either at a district school or a private provide universal early childhood education amendments, Rep. Denise Dittrich (DFL- facility, according to John Moorse, director or higher education as it does for the K-12 Champlin) unsuccessfully offered one that of consolidated federal programs with the system. Furthermore, taxpayer dollars should would have required a nonpublic school Education Department. Transportation to not fund schools that discriminate in any receiving scholarship funding to report a same-district school is funded, but not to a way based on religious belief, or that fail to annually on their finances, governance, charter or non-district school. comply with state and federal statutes such as staffing, demographics and academic In Minneapolis, about 22,500 students open meeting laws, the Pupil Fair Dismissal performance measures in the same manner were eligible to change schools under that Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and as a charter school.