TO THE EDITOR: WORKING HARD FOR INCREASED SCHOOL FUNDING
It continues to be my humble honor serving our great community in the MN Senate. During my entire time in the Legislature, I’ve been working hard for increased funding for our schools to maximize educational opportunities for our children, pay high-quality teachers and staff for the great work they pour into students each day, and reduce property taxes on homes and businesses in our area.
In collaboration with superintendents, school board members, teachers, parents, and students from school districts serving our community, I worked in a bipartisan fashion to chief author Senate File 505, which would increase funding for the bottom 20% of school districts that receive the least amount of student funding. Despite my bill being bipartisan and despite my being a member of the Senate Education Committee, the Democrat chair of the committee refused to hear my bill.
Since she refused to consider my bill, I offered an amendment to include it in the Education Budget bill. I worked to gain bipartisan support and successfully added my amendment to provide extra funding for our local schools to the larger education bill.
Unfortunately, metro-area Democrats led by the Democrat Chair of the committee, subsequently colluded to strip my amendment during House-Senate negotiations, so they could continue spending even more money in metro-area schools.
I am extremely disappointed the many personal stories from students, parents, and teachers all session long were ignored by the metro-area Democrats. I will not give up! I will always continue working for the educational opportunities for our children!
Minnesota State Senator