Education Conference Committee Now on Senate Floor. New venue, same discussion. Senate Education Funding and Policy Chair LeRoy Stumpf (DFL-Thief River Falls) presented the bill and discussion has ensued. A memorandum has been distributed from the Minnesota Chamber and the Minnesota Business Partnership that opposes the provision du jour, that being the ability of school districts to renew an expiring referendum levy by board resolution. Senator Terry Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) has just finished a rousing speech in support of the bill, but that wasn't enough to fend off a motion by Senator Claire Robling (R-Jordan) to send the report back to conference committee.

EGADS!!!! The Senate has rejected the conference committee report and have, on a vote of 38-24, approved the aforementioned Robling motion.

The two bones of contention were the referendum renewal language and the lack of the what several were referencing as a lack of serious reform.