The Lights Turned On and the Curtain Fell Down. Session 2007 is coming to an end and we have, anticipating a Governor's signature, an education bill. After disparaging all things Minneapolis for about an hour, the House rejected a motion not to concur with the Senate amendments to HF 2245 on a vote of 87-46, approved a motion to concur on a vote of 86-48, and passed the bill on a vote of 94-36. The bill will now head to the Governor where it awaits an uncertain fate. All indications are that he will sign it, but one can never know completely what is going on in this building.

My one prediction going into the session is that there would not be a special session. I always thought that was the one thing that all involved parties wanted to avoid at all costs. It looked very shaky last week and over the weekend, but things came together and it now appears--and let me stress appears--that a special session can be avoided.

I will be looking over the bill and data runs very closely tomorrow and there should be several e-mailings with data and summaries before our meeting on Thursday. We will be joined on Thursday by freshman Representative Terry Morrow (D-St. Peter) and freshman Senator Sandy Rummel (D-White Bear Lake). They will share their impressions of the legislative session and what it was like to be a freshman legislator in such a hectic year.

Before I sign off, I really want to compliment Representative Bud Heidgerken (R-Freeport) for an absolutely great statesmanlike speech on the House floor during the debate on the education bill. Bud represents a wide range of districts and some did better under the bill than others. He did not laud that situation, but pointed out how difficult it is to legislate in the current system of education aids and levies and how frustrating can be when trying to put together the education bill. He sent out the call for reform. Sounds like a great stepping off point for the next phase of our work with PS Minnesota.