When They Start Meeting Wednesdays . . . It means things are picking up steam.  Both houses met today to process bill introductions and committee reports.  The first policy committee deadline is just a little over two weeks away (March 20) and that means all non-budget bills are racing against the clock.  If a bill has to go to more than one policy committee, time is going to be really tight because those bills must clear all policy committees to which the bill has been referred before the first deadline.  That means two things:  (1) a lot of floor sessions to get bills introduced and processed from one committee to another, and (2) a lot of looooooooooooong committee meetings.  Like I reported yesterday, the House Education Innovation Policy Committee met for nearly five hours on Tuesday (and may meet that long again tomorrow).  So look forward to some long reports from me on the blog.

While the budget and tax committees (and subcommittees) are meeting, they are deferring to the policy committees at this point due to the fact that the budget bills won't have to be put together and on the floor of their respective house by the third week of April.  Of course, the omnibus bills will contain both budget and policy provisions (it does not appear that the omnibus policy bills will travel separately at this point, but that remains a possibility), but to be on the safe side and follow protocol, both the House and Senate committees that deal with education policy are hearing bills that I fully expect to be considered for inclusion in the larger omnibus package.

Bill Introductions.

Senate

SF 1313--Hann--Creates Education Savings Accounts for students with special needs--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1313&session=ls89&version=latest&session_number=0&session_year=2015

SF 1314--Jensen--Provides for information technology certifications through public-private partnerships--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1314&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 1323--Saxhaug--Increases local optional revenue equalization for certain districts--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1323&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 1327--Wiger--Establishes a global education to workforce initiative program--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1327&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 1334--Cohen--Appropriates money for the College Possible program--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1334&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 1345--Hayden--Examining and developing statewide swimming resources--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1345&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 1352--Cohen--Adjusts current aid payment percentage and estimated entitlements--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1352&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 1364--Kent--Creates grant program to increase student support personnel--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1364&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

House

HF 1409--Mullery--Appropriates money for Northside Achievement Zone program--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1409&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 1428--Moran--Qualifies certain homeless children for early educational services--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1428&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 1431--Swedzinski--Creates choice scholarships for high school dropouts--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1431&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 1436--Quam--Establishes basic needs revenue and reserves revenue for essential uses identified by school boards--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1436&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 1444--Davnie--Directs the Board of Teaching to adopt standards for an endorsement enabling licensed high school teachers to provide dual enrollment instruction at a high school--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1444&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 1445--Selcer--Expands the list of offenses that authorizes the Board of Teaching or Board of School Administrators to deny or revoke a teaching license--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1445&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 1446--Selcer--Appropriates money for school districts to develop STEM based courses--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1446&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 1457--Slocum--Appropriates money to develop a consent curriculum--https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1457&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0