STATE OF MINNESOTA TWENTY THIRD MEETING
MN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY SECOND SESSION
EDUCATION FINANCE
MINUTES
Representative Jim Davnie, Chair of the Education Finance Committee, called the virtual meeting to order at 10:30am on March 3, 2021 pursuant to House rule 10.01. The meeting is being broadcast via Zoom and House Public Information Services.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
DAVNIE, Jim
SANDSTEDE, Julie
KRESHA, Ron
BENNETT, Peggy
DANIELS, Brian
DEMUTH, Lisa
DRAZKOWSKI, Steve
ERICKSON, Sondra
FEIST, Sandra
JORDAN, Sydney
MARQUART, Paul
MUELLER, Patricia
RICHARDSON, Ruth
THOMPSON, John
WOLGAMOTT, Dan
XIONG, Tou
YOUAKIM, Cheryl
A quorum was present.
Rep. Sandstede moved that the minutes from March 2, 2021 be approved. Motion prevailed.
HF 486 (Feist) The 2019 Legislature appropriated $265,000 for a onetime grant for suicide prevention training for school district staff. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) collaborated with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to award a contract for services (most of the state’s suicide prevention efforts are operated out of MDH). The contract was awarded to a company called Kognito that developed an interactive suicide prevention training program that was made available at no cost to Minnesota teachers who participate in the program. HF 486, as amended, appropriates $265,000 from the general fund to MDH for a grant for suicide prevention training for school staff and makes the grant available until June 30, 2023. HF 486 requires the training to be accessible statewide to all teachers in charter schools, school districts, intermediate school districts, service cooperatives, and tribal contract schools.
Rep. Feist moved that HF 486 be presented before the committee; be referred to Health Finance & Policy.
Rep. Feist moved that the A1 amendment to HF 486 be presented to and adopted by the committee. Motion prevailed; the amendment was adopted.
Rep. Feist presented HF 486, as amended.
Rep. Feist renewed the motion that HF 486, as amended by the A1 amendment, be referred to Health Finance & Policy. Motion prevailed by voice vote:
Roll Call Vote Count (HF 486, A1); ‘aye’ – 16, ‘no’ – 1:
DAVNIE, Jim (aye)
SANDSTEDE, Julie (aye)
KRESHA, Ron (aye)
BENNETT, Peggy (aye)
DANIELS, Brian (aye)
DEMUTH, Lisa (aye)
DRAZKOWSKI, Steve (no)
ERICKSON, Sondra (aye)
FEIST, Sandra (aye)
JORDAN, Sydney (aye)
MARQUART, Paul (aye)
MUELLER, Patricia (aye)
RICHARDSON, Ruth (aye)
THOMPSON, John (aye)
WOLGAMOTT, Dan (aye)
XIONG, Tou (aye)
YOUAKIM, Cheryl (aye)
HF 1057 (Bennett) HF 1057 creates a framework for preK-12 education grants awarded by the legislature, encourages the goals of the grants to be aligned to Minnesota’s world’s best workforce and the federal government’s student accountability systems, and requires all grant recipients to report on their activities. Requires each grant recipient, within 180 days of the conclusion of the grant period, to report to the commissioner and the legislature on the effectiveness of the strategies used to meet the purposes of the grant through an evidence based evaluation of the program.
Rep. Bennett moved that HF 1057 be presented before the committee; be laid over for further consideration at a later time.
Rep. Bennett presented HF 1057.
Rep. Bennett renewed the motion that HF 1057 be laid over for further consideration at a later time.
Presentation from Kim Gibbons, PhD and Director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota, on their work around evidence-based strategies in the education space.
Testifiers:
Sue Abderholden, MPH, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness – MN
Stephanie Downy, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, MN Department of Health
Daniel Devine, Art Teacher, Pequot Lakes High School, ISD 186
Kim Gibbons, PhD, Director, Center for Applied Research & Educational Improvement,
University of Minnesota
The meeting of the Education Finance Committee was adjourned 11:50am.
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Representative Jim Davnie, Chair
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Brittney Sunderland, Committee Legislative Assistant