‘Exploding’ education bill threatens timely state budget
Minnesota education bill hits a stall
Minnesota lawmakers are working to craft together an education funding bill this session, but continue to disagree on what provisions should be in it. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard has the latest.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - An explosive fight over Minnesota education funding is threatening the chances of getting a final budget out of the legislature on time.
It’s all about a tiny dispute — one that will literally cost taxpayers zero dollars in the current budget.
Building bridges
Honoring Dziedzic:
The bipartisan good times seemed to be rolling Thursday as the Senate unanimously agreed to rename the 10th Avenue bridge over the Mississippi River in honor of Sen. Kari Dziedzic.
"The way she thought, the way she behaved, and she was above reproach in her ethics, and I was so proud to know her," said Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart, (DFL-Wayzata).
"It is appropriate that it is a bridge not a lane of highway or anything like that, but a bridge that Sen. Dziedzic will be remembered by," said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks).
Republicans and Democrats agreed the former leader, who died in December, was a bridge builder, so this is the right way to honor her.
Exploding agreement
Partisan showdown:
But when it comes to education, a party showdown controls the fate of students, teachers, and parents.
They had an agreement this week, but Democrats blew it up before it got to the House Floor.
"I have never seen this before," said Rep. Jim Nash, (R-Waconia). "This is deeply confusing."
The train went off the tracks as the education bill made its way to a final vote.
Democrats derailed it on its last stop, but blamed a GOP priority.
"The obstacle is Republicans insisting on extreme policy that harms workers," said Rep. Mike Howard, (DFL-Richfield).
All for schools
What's the bill?:
The formerly agreed-upon bill would send almost $26 billion to Minnesota schools over the two-year budget.
It cuts some funding for libraries and transportation for students with disabilities.
But it ignores a suggested cut from Gov. Tim Walz that would’ve eliminated $110 million in funding for transportation and student aid at private schools.
And Democrats in the education committee held their noses as they signed off on one more cut.
"My biggest disappointment is having to make an agreement to remove unemployment insurance after the summer of 2028," said Rep. Cheryl Youakim, (DFL-Hopkins), who co-chaired the education committee and signed off on the agreement.
Sticking point
Seasonal employee protections:
That final agreement saved the state zero dollars for the 2025-27 budget.
The sticking point provision ended unemployment for part-time school workers in 2028, but kept funding for this coming summer, then shifted the cost for the next summer to local school districts, even as a lot of them are already facing a choice between new property taxes or classroom cuts.
"In the near future, it seems like we're going to keep having to cut," said Alexandria School Board Member Laura Knudsen at an April meeting. "We have budget issues in our state, so we can't expect more funding."
What's next:
There were signs of a thaw Thursday as Democrats tentatively agreed to put the education bill to a floor vote Monday after a weekend of discussions.
But there are still no guarantees that it passes or even comes to the floor at all.