Winter Legislative Outlook

Things are picking up as MASA, the Walz administration, legislators, and organizations plan for the February 12 start of the 2024 legislative session.

MASA will begin developing its legislative priorities in early December. These priorities will consider what we have learned during the interim about the impact of the 2023 session and the funding needs you have shared. We have received your feedback these past months, but please continue to share your ideas!

State Budget Outlook?

Over the summer and fall, the Department of Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released monthly budgetary projections showing the state is bringing in more revenue than anticipated. MMB recently announced that the state’s budget is estimated to exceed initial projections, made earlier this year, by nearly 50 percent, resulting in a fiscal year-end surplus of over $2.4 billion ($820 million over the initial $1.6 billion estimate). MMB attributes the surplus to higher than anticipated tax collections of individual income and corporate franchise taxes, with slightly reduced projected spending. We won’t know the details until the MMB releases the official budget forecast in early December. Although there is likely to be a budget surplus, we do not know yet what is considered a structural surplus where the funding is ongoing or one-time surplus where the funding can only be used one time.

Once the budget forecast is released, Governor Walz will decide on his budget recommendations. We should see these soon after the session begins. The legislature will review those recommendations and then move forward on their ideas shortly after.

The next session is six weeks shorter than 2023, so expect legislative activity to be fast and furious. If there is a budget surplus, we likely will see a supplemental budget bill and a bonding bill advance. The legislature may also revisit priorities that did not pass last session, and we could see more focus on policy items.

Regarding education issues, the school resource officer issue will take center stage early on as the House and Senate have committed to hold hearings and consider possible changes to the statute. We also expect some policy proposals to move forward.

And, even though it is not a budget-setting year, education funding will be top of mind including additional increases to the per-pupil formula, more money to support the implementation of the READ Act, funding for the hourly school employee unemployment insurance requirement, and teacher pensions.

Connecting with legislators

Cultivating relationships with legislators is important to our work and extends beyond the legislative session. Maintaining consistent communication with your legislators helps educate them about the challenges facing their schools and communities. Whether it’s addressing necessary funding, the teacher shortage, or a myriad of other issues, engaging with legislators can help find solutions to these issues.

Please engage with your local legislators before the session begins to share your ideas, communicate what is happening in your district, and hear from them.

Ways to connect:

• Stay informed about the legislative session and what your local legislator is up to. You can do so by engaging with MASA, subscribing to your elected official’s newsletters (you can find the subscribe link on their website), and/or following them on social media.
• Arrange one-on-one meetings in your office with legislators to discuss specific concerns and share information about the district’s achievements and challenges. These meetings provide an opportunity to establish a personal connection and explain the district’s needs in detail. Once a connection is established, find out the best way to stay in touch throughout the year – what does the legislator prefer?
• Invite legislators to tour the district or visit a program. This allows them to get to know the district firsthand and understand the impact of their policies.
• Host a legislative event with your entire legislative delegation. You can use this to highlight a specific school or program, and your legislative priorities, and helps you interact with them more intentionally than you normally can during the legislative session.
• Share information related to the district via email and offer to be a resource for them on issues impacting public education.

These connection points will help them learn about your district. It provides them with an opportunity to ask questions they might have and allows you to hear from them about what they hope to see in the next legislative session.