Happy Groundhog Day.  The Legislature swings into its second month starting today, but it won't be like the movie Groundhog Day because February is going to be quite a bit different than January.  Most importantly, the Governor's budget is out there and people are reacting to it.  Second, the bills are starting to be introduced at a more rapid pace and a lot of the bills are quite substantial.  Lastly, the updated budget forecast will be released at the end of the month and it's that forecast that will likely dictate the Legislature's action until the end of the session.  If there is an additional amount of revenue available in the forecast, my guess is you'll see budgets get a little bigger (and maybe tax cuts get a little bigger as well) to facilitate a smooth ending to the session.  Just think of revenue as the sandpaper that can smooth down the rough political edges that can complicate the end of a legislative session.  But that story is yet to be written and we'll just have to hold on tight until things take shape.

Achieve Minnesota.  I had the chance to meet with a small group from the newly-founded education reform group Achieve Minnesota.  The members of the small group certainly weren't strangers to me:  former State Senators Amy Koch and Kathy Saltzman.  Former Senator Koch will be serving as Executive Director of the organization, Kathy is also a former SEE staffer and along with Amy, who represented several SEE districts during her tenure in the State Senate, both have a firm grasp of the issues that SEE districts face.  While funding is on Achieve Minnesota's radar, the primary focus of the organization will be education reform, especially issues surrounding teacher quality and the achievement gap.  So welcome to the party Achieve Minnesota.

Bill Introductions.

Senate

SF 441 (Jensen) -- Increasing funding for community education youth after-school enrichment program -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF0441&session=ls89&version=latest&session_number=0&session_year=2015

SF 442 (Wiklund) -- Authorizes a grant to The Works Museum -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF442&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 447 (Kent) -- Appropriates money for the Minnesota Children's Museum -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF447&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 467 (Stumpf) -- Creates mobile manufacturing lab -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF467&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 471 (Saxhaug) -- Provides funding to expand career and technical education in STEM fields -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF471&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 473 (Pratt) -- Revises teacher licensure and layoff policies -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF473&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 475 (Rosen) -- Expands list of offenses by which Board of Teaching can deny or revoke a teaching license -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF475&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 488 (Dahle) -- Creates new intermediate school district in Carver, Scott, and and Le Seuer counties -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF488&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 489 (Dahle) -- Provides enhanced debt service equalization for districts with certain unique situations -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF489&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

SF 490 (Dahle) -- Increases school debt service equalization -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF490&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

House

HF 500 (Bennett) -- Expands list of offenses by which Board of Teaching can deny or revoke a teaching license -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF0500&session=ls89&version=list&session_number=0&session_year=2015

HF 509 (Bly) -- Creates new intermediate school district in Carver, Scott, and and Le Seuer counties -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF509&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 548 (Lenczewski) -- Authorizes a grant to The Works Museum -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF548&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 552 (Gunther) -- Appropriates money to the commissioner of employment and economic development for career counseling services -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF552&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 554 (Christensen) -- Requires three-fifths vote to pass legislation reducing the school aid payment percentage below 90 percent -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF554&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 555 (Backer) -- Provides funding to expand career and technical education in STEM fields -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF555&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0

HF 557 (Bly) -- Makes charter schools and the Crosswinds Integration Magnet School eligible for small schools revenue -- https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF557&version=0&session=ls89&session_year=2015&session_number=0