Bills Would Help Pay for Veterans' Memorial, All-Day Kindergarten

Oakdale’s representatives in the Minnesota Legislature introduced last week two sets of companion bills that would provide funding for all-day kindergarten and a new veterans' memorial at .

The all-day kindergarten bills, HF1153 and SF937, would give school districts extra money for providing all-day, everyday kindergarten free of charge to their students. Funding would be based on the number of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunches that participate in the program.

The goal is to increase at-risk kids’ participation in all-day kindergarten, said Rep. Nora Slawik (DFL—District 55B) of Maplewood.

“All day kindergarten is crucial in closing the achievement gap,” Slawik said.
Since School District 622 already funds free all-day, everyday kindergarten, the bill would essentially free up money the district is spending on the program for other things, Slawik said.

“It would be really good for our district,” she said.

Another pair of bills, HF1128 and SF808, introduced by Slawik and Sen. Chuck Wiger (DFL—District 55) would appropriate $50,000 in bonding money toward the Oakdale Veterans' Memorial project. A volunteer committee is currently raising money for the $100,000 project by selling engraved paving stones dedicated to individual veterans and soliciting private donations.

Slawik said she’s not sure whether the bill will make it into a bonding bill this year, but if it isn’t, it could be included in the larger bonding bill next year.

“To veterans in Oakdale, this is a very important project,” she said. “I think it’s really important that we honor our vets.”

Here’s what’s happened this past week with other bills authored or co-authored by your legislators:

Rep. Nora Slawik—Co-sponsored a bill that would provide insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorders. HF1071, introduced March 14. 

 Rep. Nora Slawik—Co-sponsored a bill that would make an exception for children to the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association’s six-month pre-existing condition limitation. HF1095, introduced March 14.

Rep. Nora Slawik—Co-sponsored a bill that would lift the expiration on Ramsey County’s authority to impose a mortgage registry and deed tax. HF1113, introduced March 14. 

 Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that would appropriate $500,000 in bond proceeds to the Metropolitan Council for costs related to construction of a park-and-ride facility in Newport. SF834, introduced March 16. 

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that would make someone who has committed a crime eligible for public employment if they were honorably discharged from the military after the offense. SF878, introduced March 17. 

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that changes bond requirements for state depositories. SF904, introduced March 17.

Rep. Nora Slawik and Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored companion bills that increase funding for K-12 education, make all-day kindergarten a component of general education revenue, establish a governor’s award for excellence in education and establish an achievement gap innovation grant. HF1187 and SF902, introduced March 17.

Rep. Nora Slawik—Co-sponsored a bill that provides for coordination of early childhood programs to achieve kindergarten readiness for all students by 2020. HF1188, introduced March 17. 

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that would allow cities to purchase public safety equipment from a single source, rather than going through a bidding process, if the cities believe they can get a better price through negotiation, and authorize leasing public safety equipment. SF921, introduced March 21. 

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that would impose stiffer penalties for people who are repeatedly convicted of tampering with motor vehicles. SF948, introduced March 21.