Whirlwind!  The pace has picked up over the past week.  Bills are still being introduced in droves, committees are meeting into the night, and the Governor released his budget recommendations.  The Governor's budget recommendations are the starting point for the serious fiscal negotiations that will be taking place over the next two months.  The Governor has put forward a fairly aggressive investment for the coming fiscal year (FY 19), although it appears he come in lower than the Senate's recommendation (of course, all is in flux).  Where the Governor differs from the Senate is in the revenue he commits to the next biennium in the form of increased schools safety revenue, increased special education revenue, and in making the School Readiness Plus program that was passed last session permanent.  The School Readiness Plus program was slated to be sunset after FY 19 per the agreement reached at the end of the 2017 Legislative Session.  The uptick in the February budget forecast along with the Governor's recommendation to not fully conform with Federal income tax changes and produce a revenue cushion in the process.  I have oversimplified the Governor's approach on taxes and the details have yet to be released, but it appears that additional revenue will be available through several means beyond the rosier budget forecast.

As it stands right now, it looks like the Senate will be putting more revenue into the current fiscal year than the Governor, but again, it's too early to tell for certain.  Senator Carla Nelson's SF 2754 proposes to put about $80 million into flexible school safety revenue for the coming fiscal year with no money committed beyond that.  The Legislature's contention is that next year will be a budget year and that committing heavily into the next biennium for any purpose would reduce budget flexibility and the opportunity to put money into efforts like increased funding for special education or an increase in the basic formula.

The House has yet to commit revenue to anything and they may be waiting until their tax bill takes shape before coming forward with a fleshed out budget proposal.  One thing all parties have agreed to adopt is the pension bill which will solve the TRA issue that has been left to fester over the past few years.  Under the plan, the employer share will go up by 1.25% (1/4 percent per year for five years) with the state picking up the tab through the pension subtraction in the general education formula).  The employee share will go up by 0.25% in 2024.

Here is a link to the Governor's press document on the budget proposal for FY 19.  Excellent Educations for Minnesota Students

Bill Introductions

Senate--Thursday, March 15

SF 3433--Draheim--Authorizes transportation for certain pregnant teens.

SF 3435--Housley--Requires Minnesota State High School League to adopt rules relating to youth hockey.

SF 3436--Wiger--Appropriates money to Minnesota Literacy Council to upgrade Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment.

SF 3439--Nelson--Clarifies district authority to implement competency-based courses and programs.

SF 3470--Clausen--Prohibits public employers from reducing compensation of members of Professional Educators Licensing and Standards Board.

SF 3741--Clausen--Authorizes school districts to use Long Term Facilities Maintenance Revenue for building safety improvements.

SF 3742--Clausen--Increases safe schools levy and links portion of levy available to intermediate school districts to increases in the basic formula.

Monday, March 19

SF 3516--Nelson--Requires that a portion of voluntary prekindergarten recipients to be served through a mixed delivery system.

SF 3572--Chamberlain--Requires dyslexia screening in early grades.

SF 3591--Wiklund--Requires school boards to have a policy on student deaths.

SF 3592--Cwodzinski--Increases student transportation revenue.

SF 3606--Dziedzic--Requires a counselor in every school.

SF 3608--Kiffmeyer--Increases referendum and debt service equalization.

SF 3626--Dibble--Fully funds voluntary prekindergarten program.

House

Thursday, March 15

HF 3870--Peterson--Requires that a portion of voluntary prekindergarten recipients to be served through a mixed delivery system.

HF 3879--Lee--Appropriates money for after-school and STEM programming.

HF 3880--Hortman--Allows individuals promoting skilled industries access to secondary students.

HF 3881--Loon--Modifies formula for calculating transportation aid for students in Post-Secondary Enrollment Options.

HF 3882--Neu--Requires that students in online learning courses be allowed to be in school building during regular school hours.

HF 3883--Slocum--Appropriates money for study of differences between charter schools and school districts.

HF 3884--Theis--Provides a complaint procedure for certain school dismissals.

HF 3885--Christensen--Appropriates money for school security audits.

HF 3886--Lueck--Authorizes online learning providers to generate 

online learning aid for courses offered to nonpublic pupils.

HF 3887--Moran--Appropriates money to Minnesota Literacy Council to upgrade Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment.

HF 3888--Howe--Allows patriotic organizations to encourage student participation.

HF 3902--Dettmer--Increases board-approved referendum authority.

Monday, March 19

HF 3971--McDonald--Increases referendum and debt service equalization.

HF 3990--Kunesh-Podein--Reestablishes January 15 teacher bargaining deadline.

HF 3991--Peterson--Modifies innovation research zone pilot project.

HF 4002--Runbeck--Requires school districts to adopt student mobile device policies.

HF 4015--Peterson--Authorizes school districts to use Long Term Facilities Maintenance Revenue for building safety improvements.

HF 4025--Bliss--Broadens the natural disaster debt service 
equalization aid program to assist school districts with a high percentage of property excluded from the tax rolls.

House Releases Education Policy Bill.  The House Education Innovation Policy will spend the next couple of days presenting and entertaining amendments on their 2018 omnibus education policy bill.  Here is a link to HF 3315 as it will be presented to the committee tomorrow:  HF 3315