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Home My WebLink About2015 05-17 Education deal in hand, as Mark Dayton's veto threat looms PIONEER PRESS Education deal in hand,as Mark Dayton's veto threat looms Updated�OS/17/20 7 5 11:31:37 PM CDT TwinCities.com • May 17: • On health care,lawmakers reach deal with little contention,few major changes • Minnesota Legislature briefng:Buffer deal,college cash and more • May 16: • Dayton,lawmakers remain at budget impasse • Lawmakers reach budget deal,but Dayton objects • May 14: • Progress made in state budget talks,but big deals still to be cut • Minnesota legislative leaders reach deal for$3 billion higher ed bill • May 13: • Minnesota waits as legislators continue to meet without a budget deal • Minnesota Legislature weighs Social Security tax break • Minnesota budget deal talks continue as clock hits one-week mark • May 12: • Legislative panel strikes deal on bill banning several fre retardants � • May 9: • Minnesota's budget compromise-iYs out there,somewhere • May 5: • Senale GOP passes budget despite an impasse on spending With just 30 hours left in the Legislative session,Gov.Mark Dayton made it clear there would not be a peaceful end to the legislative session if lawmakers do not provide more money for his top priority--universal preschool. "I will veto,I'll repeat again,I will veto a$400 million bill that leaves$1 billion on the bottom line,"Dayton said emphatically Sunday afternoon."I don't agree with it." The governor's clear and emphatic rejection of lawmakers'plan to give schools programs a$400 million increase,rather than the$550 million increase he has demanded,gives the 2015 session a decidedly sour end. Dayton summoned House Speaker Kurt Daudt,R-Crown,and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk,DFL-Cook,to his offices to plead his case again less than 12 hours aRer the Legislature finished crafting its education plans.The measure spends about$17 billion,nearly half of all state spending,over the next two years. Rejecting the bill could mean school districts will have trouble getting aid payments and some state education agencies will be shuttered.Lawmakers said Dayton would be responsible if that happens--they insist that the state should be satisfied with the significant increase in education spending. Dayton was not moved by their pleas not to kill the bill or the potential consequences if he vetoes the education spending measure and lawmakers do not replace it in a special session. "I'm very concerned,but I left I clear avenue for ending the session on time,"Dayton said."IYs necessary for the children of Minnesota. The Legislature's preschool-to-l2th-grade school funding bill puts school spending at$17 billion over the next hvo years. Democratic and Republican lawmakers are expected to support it,despile Dayton's objections. Legislators'plans put most of the new money,roughly$287 million,into the per pupil funding formula for school operations. Districts would receive a 1.5 percent and 2 percent increase over the next two years--or$87 per student in the first year and$110 per student in the second. It also includes$32 million to help rural districts maintain school facilities.Now,just 25 mostly metro districts can raise property taxes for maintenance without voler backing. Preschool does get$60 million in new money,but it is evenly split between public schools favored by DFLers and scholarships favored by Republicans. '9 totally understand why the governor wants more," said Sen. Charles Wiger, DFL-Maplewood,co-chair of the conference committee. "I would support that, but we had to work v,�ithin our target." Rep. Jenifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie, the other committee co-chair, said she hoped Dayton would not veto their bill. '9 really hope the governor will take a step back and think long and hard about this," Loon said. Dayton has pushed hard for his universal preschool program. He kicked off the legislative session by speaking to early childhood advocates at a conference in St. Paul. He visited preschools around the metro and was joined in North St. Paul by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, a preschool advocate. Duncan wrote Wger and Loon on Sunday, urging them to approve Dayton's plan. "With a significant state budget surplus,you have the rare and enviable opportunity to change the opportunity structure for children,for generations to come," Duncan wrote. Yet many education advocates worry universal preschool will be costly to implement Private and nonprofit providers say it could hurt their businesses. A growing number of states are expanding preschool, but they typically use a mix of public, private and nonprofit providers. Minnesota has one of the nation's lowest number of 4-year-olds with access to public-funded programs. Outside the preschool fght, the education conference committee report includes a lot of things Democrats, Republicans and schooladvocales support. The bill would streamline the licensing process for qualified teachers and reduce the number of mandatory tests students take. Districts can disregard Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment scores for students who had problems with provider Pearson's online tests, if the bill becomes law. Pearson's system was plagued with glitches this testing season. The measure does not include controversial policy provisions proposed by Republicans including changes to teacher seniority rules for layoffs and requiring transgender students to use bathrooms based on their sex at birth. It would also provide a small amount of money to expand some popular initiatives, but again, not as much as Dayton wanted. For example, there's$3.5 million of new spending for reading tutors, a program Dayton wanted lo increase by$5 million. The committee did not include Dayton's proposal to provide state-funded breakfasts to the youngest students. The legislation is expected to head to the floor of the House and Senate on Monday. Normally,that would be lawmakers'final step before getting their measure signed into law. But with Dayton's expected veto,the Legislature may need to retum to the issue in special session. However, the Minnesota Capitol is undergoing renovation and all occupants, including lawmakers,are expected to be out of the building at midnight Monday, with the House chamber desks removed and the ventilation system shut off soon after. Dayton said lawmakers could meet in special session on the Capitol lawn, if need be. "I mean this sincerely,"the DFL governor said. Christopher Magan can be reached at cmagan@pioneerpress.com. Rachel E. Stassen-Berger can be reached at rstassen- be rger@ pio nee rp res s.co m.