The Legislative on Thursday resolved two issues that had been causing tensions to rise just before they left for a short Easter Break. The issues included extending unemployment benefits to laid off mining workers on the Iron Range and reducing unemployment insurance premiums for Minnesota businesses. DFLer wanted a clean bill to extend benefits and GOP members wanted relief for businesses … Read More
Budget Forecast Retracts to $900 Million
The updated state budget forecast released today reveals a slight retraction in the $1.2 billion surplus initially projected as of December to $900 million, according to Minnesota Management and Budget. Legislative leaders now have to grapple with the budget news as they head into session on March 8. The competition for tax cuts, transportation spending and early learning funding just got more … Read More
Report on Fairer State Share for Facilities Released
Minnesota has set a goal is to educate the 21st Century’s World’s Best Workforce. That will require 21st Century learning environments, yet 50 percent of our school facilities were built before 1976, prior to the digital revolution. In 288 school districts, local property taxpayers pay 100 percent of new or remodeled facilities. MREA released a report today outlining the challenges and … Read More
DFL Calls for Broadband Funding and Ag2School Credits
The House DFL leadership last week announced a plan to fund Greater Minnesota, including two high priority education needs: high-speed broadband Internet expansion and Ag2School tax credits. MREA members identified both of these as top issues for the 2016 legislative session that convenes March 8. This package includes $100 million for high-speed broadband Internet access to rural parts of the state, $50 million in agriculture … Read More
MREA to Speak on Ag2School in Maple River
MREA Executive Director Fred Nolan will speak to farmers and other community members of Maple River on the upcoming legislative session this week at a community meeting organized by the school district. Nolan will share how upcoming legislation could affect the school district and agricultural land taxes. He will outline the Ag2School tax credit aimed at helping address the facility … Read More
MREA Members Approve 2016 Legislative Platform
MREA announced today its platform of the key education issues for the 2016 Legislative session. MREA members approved the platform at the annual business meeting on Nov. 16. The platform comes from months of grassroots input, research and reflection on how to keep us positioned to be effective in the legislative process. Anticipating that property tax reductions will be a … Read More
MREA Prepares for 2016 Legislative Session
MREA traveled the state through the fall and heard from Greater Minnesota schools. Now it’s time to focus our collective voice on behalf of rural students as the 2016 legislative session approaches. The MREA Board of directors recommends the following platform for member approval at the annual meeting at the 2015 MREA Annual Conference on Nov. 17. View the proposed platform. The proposed platform focuses … Read More
Referendum and Bond Results Across Greater Minnesota
Tuesday’s elections results were mixed for Greater Minnesota school districts. Bond elections fared worse than metro school districts, while operating referendums passed at a higher rate than in metro districts. Bond Elections Across Greater Minnesota districts, 54 percent of bonds were approved by voters compared to 82 percent of metro bond questions. MSBA reported a statewide average of 62 percent. … Read More
MREA To Host Virtual Meetings on 3 Key Issues
MREA will host a series of “on-point” virtual meetings in the next few weeks to gain feedback on specific issues currently impacting our Greater Minnesota schools: early learning, teacher shortages, and school bond debt. Member feedback from the meetings will form the basis to build MREA’s Legislative Platform for the 2016 legislative session. Teachers, board members, and administrators are encouraged to participate. … Read More
Share Voice at Area Meetings
MREA invites all its members to attend an Area Meeting this August and September to share their voice on issues important to their school district. Area Meetings start Tuesday in Walker and Wednesday in Virginia. Every fall MREA’s advocacy staff hits the road to gather input from MREA members. We review outcomes from the last legislative session, preview upcoming issues, and help members understand how their districts are impacted. Check out … Read More