Senator Chuck Wiger

With a historic opportunity to address long unmet needs and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on our students, parents, and school staff, Senate Republicans failed to deliver for the state’s schools by passing a supplemental budget bill that falls embarrassingly short. Despite a $9.25 billion budget surplus, the Republican majority advanced a final bill that spends a paltry $30.7 million on a vote of 37-29.

On Friday, Senate Republicans unveiled their education bill for the 2022 Legislative Session. With an historic $9.25 billion budget surplus, they are proposing to spend only $30 million to address needs facing students, parents, teachers, and school staff. 

Top Senate DFLers said today that the Senate Republican Majority missed a key opportunity to help hard-hit Minnesota​ students, parents, teachers and schools recover from two years of an unprecedented pandemic when it offered unnecessary, burdensome, and divisive legislation that does nothing to address the real needs facing every school in every community across the state.

On November 23rd, House Republicans sent a letter to Governor Walz requesting the use of all remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds and additional general fund dollars to provide a $1.3 billion dollar tax cut to Minnesota employers on their unemployment insurance obligations.

This week, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) added 305 bodies of water to the impaired waters list for a total of 2,904 bodies with 6,168 existing impairments across the state of Minnesota. This list included PFAS contamination found in bodies of water in Greater Minnesota.