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MSBA priorities shared with legislators.
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PLEASE ASK YOUR SUPERINTENDENT TO COMPLETE THIS IMPORTANT SURVEY.

The 2020 legislative session begins today.  There are a number of issues expected to be front and center, including:
*supplemental budget;
school safety;
*changes to the newly enacted teacher licensure system;
*elections;
*unpaid school meal debt, and
*statewide unfunded mandates surrounding curriculum and graduation requirements.
 
The Government Relations team asks each district superintendent (to avoid duplication) to complete the attached 5 minute survey.  Your input will help the GR team better represent you during the legislative session.

Join school boards across Minnesota by passing the local control resolution.
Week 2- February 17, 2020
 
New Bills...More Mandates
The second week of the legislative session begins with many new bills introduced. It is important to follow the bill introductions, especially those highlighted in the Advocate and the Weekly Advocate. New bills include new mandates or other significant impacts on our districts. As we have shared, many of the bills that were heard last session are being passed out of committees without further testimony.

In the Senate, the new wage theft law that was enacted July 1 has had an impact on school districts. MSBA has been working since then with human resource groups and business office officials gathering data and talking to legislators and the Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) to work on a solution to the number of notices the new law generates. The Senate Jobs Committee will have an opportunity to hear from school HR directors, Tim Alexander, Minnetonka Public Schools and Shelly Monson, Rosemount-Apple Valley - Eagan ISD196 on Wednesday afternoon.

The Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee starts the week with a the "question" of where are we with student results and funding. Justice Page and President Kashkari will be part of the conversation as chief proponents of the proposed constitutional amendment. Chair Nelson will also hear how five school districts and ten schools are high performing schools and beating the odds.

Turning to the House, the proposed Paid Family and Medical Leave Act bill will receive a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee early Monday morning. This bill received over ten hearings last session and would have a significant impact on school districts. The committee will not take additional testimony on these bills as they received a full hearing last year.

We are seeing the House Education Finance Committee schedule meetings to highlight some of the work that was done last session. Chair Davnie has invited groups who received grants or funding to share an update with members.

The House Education Policy Committee has a full schedule of new bills to be heard, including bills on vaping. The committee will also get an update from the Reimagine group who have spent time in the interim discussing student outcomes.

Education Bill Introductions
Senate:
S.F. 3031 - requiring online education upon withdrawal from school (Howe)       
S.F. 3056 - expanding background check requirements for school employees, volunteers, and contractors; requiring drug and alcohol testing (Chamberlain)
S.F. 3069 - establishing a comprehensive mental health services division (Wiger)
S.F. 3100 - modifying the calculation of special education aid for charter schools (Simonson)
S.F. 3134 - allowing charter and nonpublic school students to participate in the extracurricular activities of their resident district (Miller)
S.F. 3135 - eliminating a required set aside of compensatory revenue for extended time programming (Abeler)
S.F. 3142 - requiring education on homelessness prevention and life skills (Newton)
 
House:
H.F. 3216 - requiring an annual curriculum audit (Scott)
H.F. 3265 - establishing a short-call substitute teacher pilot program (Poppe) MSBA Resolution
H.F. 3270 - expanding background check requirements for school employees, volunteers, and contractors; requiring drug and alcohol testing (Runbeck)
H.F. 3302 - requiring assessments for graduation (Erickson)
H.F. 3303 - requiring notice of contracts (Erickson)
H.F. 3304 - modifying reporting requirements for teacher preparation programs (Erickson)
H.F. 3312 - requiring quarterly reports to school boards (Erickson)
 
Upcoming Meetings and Events
House
Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division
Tuesday, February 18  8:00 AM      
Meeting Time Note: The committee will reconvene at 5:30 PM in 120 State Capitol to hear public testimony on HF1. 
Room: Capitol 120 
Agenda: 
* HF1 - Early childhood; additional funding and opportunities for children ages birth to three created; programs and funding for prenatal care services, home visiting, early childhood education, and child care assistance governed; and money appropriated. 

Education Finance
Tuesday, February 18  9:45 AM      
Room: 5 State Office Building
Agenda:
Informational presentations on:
Pregnant and Parenting Pupil Transportation
Reach out and Read

Wednesday, February 19 9:45 AM      
Room: 5 State Office Building
Agenda:
Informational presentations on:
Online access to music education
College savings account pilot
Pathways in technology early college high school (P-Tech)

Education Policy
Tuesday, February 18  2:30 PM      
Room: 5 State Office Building
Agenda:
H.F. 3179 (Sandell) - School district transportation contracts clarified.
H.F. 125 * (Bennett) - Education finance; evidence-based grant standard established for any legislative grants awarded to organizations for prekindergarten through grade 12 education programs, and report required.
*Informational presentation on findings from The Violence Project's Mass Shooter Database
*Informational presentation on youth e-cigarette use
H.F. 3166 (Edelson) - Vaping awareness and prevention instruction for public school students required.
H.F. 3164 (Edelson) - Vaping prevention pilot grant created, and money appropriated.

Wednesday, February 19 2:30 PM      
Room: 5 State Office Building
Agenda:
H.F. 3201 (Kunesh-Podein) - Increase Teachers of Color Act strengthened, increase in percentage of teachers of color and American Indian teachers sought, reports required, and money appropriated.
*Informational presentation on the Reimagine Minnesota Report
H.F. 3065 (Becker-Finn) - Sign language and English interpreter requirements modified.
H.F. 1940 (Huot) - Student receiving specialized instructional services programs allowed to participate in service area outside individualized education program.
H.F. 2930 * (Schultz) - Special education aid calculation for charter schools modified.
H.F. 1868 ** (Youakim) - Student journalists in grades 6 through 12 speech and press rights clarified.

Senate
Education Finance and Policy
Monday, February 17  3:00 PM  
Room 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg. 
Agenda:Where are we with students results and funding?  
 
*Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari  
  
*Christy Hovanetz, Ph.D., Senior Policy Fellow, Foundation for Excellence in Education
 
Wednesday, February 18  3:00 PM
Room 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Agenda: Beating the odds/High performing schools 
TEAM Academy, Principal Courtney
Burnsville Public Schools:
Sioux Trail Elementary, Principal Hughes
Rahn Elementary, Principal Robb
Edward Neill Elementary, Principal Bomstad
South Washington County Public Schools - Newport Elementary, Principal Romano
Austin Public Schools - Southgate Elementary, Principal Baskins, Ed. Services Director, Alberts and, Superintendent Krenz
St. James Public Schools - St. James Northside Elementary, Principal Beck
Anoka Hennepin Public Schools:
Morris Bye Elementary, Principal Wahlin;  
Monroe Elementary, Principal Oliver;  
Hamilton Elementary, Principal Bowman and Superintendent, David Law       
 
Other Committee Meetings
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 1:00 PM
Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy
Chair: Sen. Eric R. Pratt
Room 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Agenda:
Informational hearing on Wage Theft.
 
Wednesday, February 19 6:30 PM      
Subcommittee on Local Government
Room: Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Sandra Masin
Agenda:

HF3200 (Freiberg) Open Meeting Law; audio recordings of all meetings required.

Thursday, February 20, 2020 , 9:45 AM
Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Division
Chair: Rep. John Lesch
Location: 10 State Office Building
Agenda:
o HF 1821 (Lucero): student data privacy act created, and penalties provided  
 
Save the date for 2020 MSBA Day at the Capitol
We look forward to advocating on your behalf and encourage you to participate. We hope that you will save the date for our annual Day at the Capitol event on Monday, March 23. More information will be coming.
Minnesota School Boards Association | 507-934-8133 | msba@mnmsba.org
145 University Avenue West
St. Paul, MN 55103