Pawlenty signs Omnibus pension bill 5/15/10
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sdaily.asp?sday=5/12/2010
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sessiondaily.asp?storyid=2277
http://politicsinminnesota.com/blog/2010/05/pawlenty-signs-pension-bill/
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Mariani's HF3093 - licensure reform
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessionweekly/art.asp?ls_year=86&issueid_=59&storyid=1892&year_=2010
I support loosening licensure requirements and encourage mid-career changes into education. But I don't support Mariani's HF3093, despite the union opposition, because the licensure reform is too weak.
Additionally:
"Advocates also like a provision allowing school boards to renew expiring levy referenda at the same rate and term by written resolution, without going to voters."
This cannot happen. We deserve a vote on each and every tax increase.
"Rep. Paul Marquart (DFL-Dilworth) successfully offered an amendment May 4 in the House Taxes Committee that would allow a “reverse” referendum. Within 60 days of a school board deciding to extend a levy, 30 percent of voters could sign a petition to revoke the board’s decision and put it before voters."
This is bogus. 5-8% of the voting population, which is what the state-level and municipal-level petition requirements for city charter amendments and initiatives are, is very difficult without a funded year-long effort. 30%, even if it is within one school district, is an unreasonable percent and practically insurmountable in 2 months. For ISD 625 in 2009, which is roughly the city of St. Paul, 30% of the total vote would have been 10,212. This is an example of why we can't trust Democrats on election policy.
We can't trust the democrats on education policy. There are several questionable past policy decisions Mariani has been involved in, including the requirement new charter schools have a "sponsor" school.
This is too restrictive.
But the important education issues today are the education unions' requests for sustainability funds which are basically bailouts, and the evidence provided by the MMB that no healthcare fund was built up over the many years by MN unions. This deserves the same national attention as New Jersey Governor Christie's discovery of that state's unions' outrageous fiscal neglect, and the opposition to his healthcare fund building effort on behalf of state employees. It is ironic a Republican governor is the one standing up for employees' rights and the responsible management of their dues. The unions apparently would continue to use dues proceeds to advocate for their own continued influence on policy and not on building a fund for their members.
Whoever is doing Session Weekly now is doing a really nice job.
I support loosening licensure requirements and encourage mid-career changes into education. But I don't support Mariani's HF3093, despite the union opposition, because the licensure reform is too weak.
Additionally:
"Advocates also like a provision allowing school boards to renew expiring levy referenda at the same rate and term by written resolution, without going to voters."
This cannot happen. We deserve a vote on each and every tax increase.
"Rep. Paul Marquart (DFL-Dilworth) successfully offered an amendment May 4 in the House Taxes Committee that would allow a “reverse” referendum. Within 60 days of a school board deciding to extend a levy, 30 percent of voters could sign a petition to revoke the board’s decision and put it before voters."
This is bogus. 5-8% of the voting population, which is what the state-level and municipal-level petition requirements for city charter amendments and initiatives are, is very difficult without a funded year-long effort. 30%, even if it is within one school district, is an unreasonable percent and practically insurmountable in 2 months. For ISD 625 in 2009, which is roughly the city of St. Paul, 30% of the total vote would have been 10,212. This is an example of why we can't trust Democrats on election policy.
We can't trust the democrats on education policy. There are several questionable past policy decisions Mariani has been involved in, including the requirement new charter schools have a "sponsor" school.
This is too restrictive.
But the important education issues today are the education unions' requests for sustainability funds which are basically bailouts, and the evidence provided by the MMB that no healthcare fund was built up over the many years by MN unions. This deserves the same national attention as New Jersey Governor Christie's discovery of that state's unions' outrageous fiscal neglect, and the opposition to his healthcare fund building effort on behalf of state employees. It is ironic a Republican governor is the one standing up for employees' rights and the responsible management of their dues. The unions apparently would continue to use dues proceeds to advocate for their own continued influence on policy and not on building a fund for their members.
Whoever is doing Session Weekly now is doing a really nice job.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
