Student Opportunity Gaps

Who’s Behind the Minnesota Education Bill

By January 7, 2013 No Comments

Minnesota’s 88th legislature will be sworn in Tuesday at noon in what is traditionally ceremonial day with family at the Capitol. Major spending and policy decisions await the new legislature, but the first few weeks of session will start out slow. But soon the omnibus education bill will take center stage.

The Senate E-12 Budget Division is responsible for producing the omnibus education bill that includes the next two years’ worth of school funding.  Chuck Wiger from Maplewood chairs this division that is made up of 11 DFLers and 7 GOP members. Four DFLers and five GOP members are from outside the seven county metro area. Sean Nienow from Cambridge is the ranking member of the committee.

The Senate Education committee initiates education policy provisions thst traditionally are then referred to the Senate E-12 budget division for cost analysis. Patricia Torres Ray from Minneapolis chairs this committee, which is made up of 9 DFLers and 6 GOP members.  Only one DFLer, vice chair Kevin Dahle, and two GOP members are from outside the seven county metro area.  Carla Nelson from Rochester is the ranking member of the committee.

In the House, the Education Finance committee is chaired by Paul Marquart, a teacher in the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton school district. It’s nice from an MREA perspective to have an education chair who works in a hyphenated school district. The House Education Finance committee is made up of 12 DFLers and 8 GOP members. There are four DFLers and four GOP members from outside the seven county metro area. Kelby Woodard from Belle Plaine is the ranking member of the committee.

The House Education Policy committee is chaired by Carlos Mariani from St. Paul.  The committee is made up of 12 DFLers and 9 GOP members.  6 DFLers and 7 GOP members are from outside the seven county metro area. Sondra Erickson from Princeton is the ranking member of the committee.