Senate Republicans must keep their promises to Minnesota’s students and pass a meaningful education bill
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CHRIS WILLIAMS
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651-247-5539 (cell)
ST. PAUL, Minnesota. May 23, 2022 – The state Legislature will adjourn Monday with Senate Republicans failing to fulfill their end of a bipartisan agreement that would have spent $4 billion on tax cuts, $1 billion on education, $1 billion on health care and human services, $450 million for public safety and the judiciary, and $1.5 billion on other spending.
Senate Education Chair Roger Chamberlain, R-Lino Lakes, was charged with negotiating the details of the bipartisan agreement, announced May 16, with DFLers in the House. Instead, he failed to the gavel the committee together in the last 24 hours of the session.
Education Minnesota President Denise Specht said the failure of Senate Republicans was unacceptable. She called on Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, to honor his commitment, negotiate a K-12 education bill that meets the real needs of students, and agree to pass it into law during a short special session.
“Senate Republicans need to keep their word and do their job,” Specht said. “They made a billion-dollar promise to Minnesota students and they must keep it. Students and educators are reeling from mental health crises. There’s a lack of substitute teachers and bus drivers. Students need extra attention to recover from the pandemic while our schools are losing too many experienced teachers to burnout. Senate Republicans have let every single student, family and educator down. They must make it right.”
About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.
