Four Senate Republicans announced bills they called the “Parent’s Bill of Rights.”
In a morning press conference, Sens. Justin Eichorn of Grand Rapids, Michelle Benson of Ham Lake, Paul Gazelka of East Gull Lake, and Roger Chamberlain of Lino Lakes announced the bills they said would increase school transparency.
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Many Minnesota schools are struggling to find substitute teachers.
State Sen. and gubernatorial candidate Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, on Friday posted on her campaign website her proposed changes to substitute teacher license regulations, which she claims would increase the pool of short-call substitute teachers and help schools stay open.
Currently, substitute teachers in Minnesota must have a bachelor’s degree (or U.S equivalent as verified by a foreign evaluation) in any field; be enrolled in a teacher preparation program; have completed student teaching, or, for candidates in career and technical education (CTE) fields, have professional certification, associate’s degree, or at least five years of relevant work experience in the CTE field, according to the state application. If they meet those qualifications, they can teach up to 15 consecutive days per teaching assignment. Their license is valid for three years. Currently tiered licensure teachers can use their teaching license.
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Several Republican candidates responded to the recently announced COVID vaccine mandates in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The mandates will go into effect on Wednesday, requiring restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and any other place of “public accommodation” where food or drink is served to only allow vaccinated patrons inside.
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Several recently conducted straw polls regarding a Republican gubernatorial candidate for the 2022 election have been inconclusive. One poll, conducted by delegates for the party, had State Senator Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) in the lead. Another poll conducted by the Minnesota Family Council after a gubernatorial debate, favored business owner and doctor, Dr. Neil Shah.
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The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association responded to Minneapolis residents voting against replacing the police with a Department of Public Safety. The ballot question, sponsored by Yes 4 Minneapolis, asked if residents wanted to replace the Minneapolis Police Department.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) tweeted out on Friday that the Biden Administration COVID vaccine mandate was “the right move.” Walz said that the mandate “will help ensure we’re keeping each other safe and healthy.”
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Former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) announced his gubernatorial bid on Wednesday morning. Gazelka stepped down from his position as majority leader last week, as a precursor to his campaign for governor.
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A fifth Republican candidate has announced their bid for the 2022 gubernatorial race. State Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) announced on Wednesday that she will be running for Minnesota governor in 2022. Benson made the announcement from Ham Lake, Minnesota, saying that she is running because of values that have been instilled in her since she was a child
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As Minnesota returns to a semblance of normalcy with an increasing number of injected COVID-19 vaccines, one Republican aims to ban “vaccine passports.”
SF 1589 aims to ban forced COVID-19 vaccinations, forced digital contact tracing, and required proof of COVID-19 vaccination before entering a government business.
“Your personal health information should not be made public. I stand against the special interests that want your private health information,” Senate Health Committee Chair Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, posted on Facebook.
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Minnesota Sens. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, and Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake, sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz asking him to reopen bars and restaurants.
In their letter, the two senators urge Gov. Walz to reopen bars, restaurants, and other “vital economic engines” by January 11. The letter also asks Walz to let businesses know of his plan by Jan. 4 so they have time to prepare.
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Gov. Tim Walz’s administration purchased a warehouse for $6.9 million in May to be used for the “temporary storage of human remains,” but the facility was recently converted into a storage space for vaccines and other medical supplies.
The facility was intended to serve as “a building where we can properly handle with dignity and respect and safety the bodies of Minnesotans who may fall victim to the coronavirus,” Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Joe Kelly said at the time of the purchase.
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State Sen. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson) published an open letter Saturday calling on Gov. Tim Walz to take action to address mismanagement in Minnesota’s Department of Human Services.
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State Sen. Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) said Gov. Tim Walz “doesn’t seem remotely interested” in the ongoing reports of dysfunction at Minnesota’s Department of Human Services.
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Minnesota Senate Republicans are planning another hearing on the state’s chronically dysfunctional Department of Human Services, this time on new reports about the agency’s use of “illegal contract and spending practices.”
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Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles testified before a joint Senate committee hearing this week where he described the Minnesota Department of Human Services as “dysfunctional” and “fraught with problems,” and warned of “contentious litigation” between tribal nations and the state.
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State Sen. Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake), chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, recently revealed that the Minnesota Department of Human Services has lost more than $300 million in the last three years, either “by error or fraud.”
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The Minnesota Senate hosted Tuesday the first of what will be an ongoing series of hearings on the issues facing the state’s Department of Human Services (DHS).
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With the May 20 end of session looming, Minnesota lawmakers remain far apart on reaching a deal on the next state budget. The House and Senate each passed their own spending plans, and a conference committee began meeting late last week to hash out differences over a 1,043 page…
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Minnesota State Sen. Michelle Benson’s (R-Ham Lake) bill to protect unborn children capable of feeling pain from abortions received its first hearing Thursday, but Planned Parenthood and its allied activists in the state are doing everything they can to kill the bill. Senate File (SF) 1609 was introduced February 21…
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A new report issued last week by the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor found that the Department of Human Services (DHS) provided Medical Assistance (MA), or Medicaid, benefits to ineligible residents. While the report concluded that the DHS “generally complied” with eligibility requirements, there were numerous instances in which…
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A new report issued Wednesday found that 57,000 Minnesotans would lose their health insurance under Gov.-elect Tim Walz’s (D-MN) proposal to offer a MinnesotaCare buy-in option. The report, conducted by consulting firm Oliver Wyman, found that 57,000 fewer Minnesotans would have health insurance coverage from 2019 to 2020, an estimated…
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