Live: Last day of 2015 legislative session

Gov. Mark Dayton says he’s willing to risk shutdown and a special session to boost funding for early education.

3rd & 7 37yd

Seems today will be on #mnleg time -- meeting times are super fluid. Senate's under call now, about an hour after planned floor session

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:23 PM
Education bill being taken up now in Senate #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:25 PM
Sen. Chuck Wiger that 1.5%, 2% yearly increase in school funding formula is "a great victory for students and school districts." #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:27 PM
Sen. Wiger says he's pleased with funds for school readiness and early learning scholarships. Says they're "various ways" to provide pre-K

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:35 PM
Wiger says there was bipartisan agreement in two areas. One: reducing student testing #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:36 PM
Sen. Wiger dropping big vocabulary: rigmarole #wordoftheday

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:38 PM
(He was referring to process for licensure process for out-of-state teachers that received bipartisan support for changes)

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:39 PM
Sen Alice Johnson said her priority for breakfast program was nixed because of the additional funding in the formula #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:40 PM
Sen. Alice Johnson: "The governor is not very happy with us right now." #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:42 PM
Sen. Alice Johnson says she too is frustrated but says legislators were working within the budget target

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:43 PM
Sen. Eric Pratt, lone GOP Senator on education conference committee, says he commends Chair Wiger and Chair Loon for higher formula funds

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:44 PM
Pratt: Funding formula is the "lifeblood of a school." Pays for day-to-day operations

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:45 PM
An aside: Education bill discussion almost seems moot since Dayton says he'll veto it.

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:24:47 PM
Sen. Gazelka with a question on school year start

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:29:05 PM
Wiger concluding discussion now, says they worked in a bipartisan manner #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:29:58 PM
Politics must be one of few realms where folks often point out they worked well with others, hence frequent references to #bipartisanship

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:31:21 PM
Favorite/most moving scene in #MadMenFinale was Sally and Bobby in the kitchen.

by Patrick Condon via twitter 5/18/2015 4:32:54 PM
i think we can all agree people work best when up for 48 hours straight.

by j. patrick coolican via twitter retweeted by rljourno 5/18/2015 4:33:48 PM
Wiger urging senators to vote green on a "great compromise package" #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:34:39 PM
Sen. Hann speaking now on ed bill -- says Dayton should respect the bipartisan cooperation in the creation of the bill #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:37:24 PM
.@SNienow "This certainly is not a perfect bill." #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:38:05 PM
Seems no one is happy about this ed bill -- DFLers wanted larger target, GOP wanted a smaller spending increase. Dayton...well, you know...

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:39:45 PM
.@SNienow "Do not veto this."

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:40:02 PM
.@sencarlanelson now speaking on the possibility of the special session which seems all but certain at this point

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:40:53 PM
Nelson: "Gov. Dayton's insistence on universal pre-K has faced stiff opposition from nearly all early-education advocates across the state."

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:41:42 PM
Nelson says people will wonder why -- 1 reason she says is districts don't have the space for universal pre-K

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:42:20 PM
Sen. Nelson referencing the "catastropic effects" of there being no education bill: Dept of Ed shutting down, teacher layoffs, etc

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:47:04 PM
Nelson closes out remarks by saying the discussion on universal pre-K should occur during next year's session. #mnleg

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:48:35 PM
GOP senators are expressing their support for the education bill now: So far, Westrom and Rosen

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:52:49 PM
Sen. Julie Rosen also urging Dayton not to veto the education bill

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:53:47 PM
Another thing to keep in mind:This is the first year of a 2year #mnleg session, meaning bills/conference committees to do not die until 2016

by Rachel E. Stassen-Berger via twitter retweeted by rljourno 5/18/2015 4:55:40 PM
Sen. Torres Ray with a question now to Sen. Stumpf

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:56:28 PM
She wants him to provide overview of universal pre-K that he provided their caucus this morning

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:57:08 PM
Stumpf: Ed Commissioner "opened up my eyes" about the benefits of universal pre-K

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:58:22 PM
Stumpf: current schools readiness funds are limited. Under universal pre-K, schools would get other funding: per-pupil funding, among them

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 4:59:27 PM
Stumpf says scholarships' scopes are limited because of lack of daycare providers in rural Minnesota

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 5:01:01 PM
Jobs bill talks have fallen apart over money and policy. It's going to be pared down with each group splitting the extra $ by 1/3.

by tomscheck via twitter retweeted by Stowydad 5/18/2015 5:02:26 PM
Sen. Branden Petersen wonders why compensatory $$ was eliminated in conference committee

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 5:02:43 PM
Wiger says it was in original senate version but went instead toward higher formula funding

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 5:03:13 PM
E-12 CCR adopted by a voice vote on the Senate Floor. #mnleg

by SenateDFL via twitter retweeted by rljourno 5/18/2015 5:03:34 PM
Budget-setting session reaches deadline, but show may go on (from @AP ) #mnleg m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/c…

by Brian Bakst via twitter 5/18/2015 5:04:19 PM
Otto wants Dayton to strike budget bill over audit clause (from @AP ) #mnleg m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/c…

by Brian Bakst via twitter 5/18/2015 5:04:44 PM
New buffer strip plan speeds implementation, carries fines (from @AP ) #mnleg m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/c…

by Brian Bakst via twitter 5/18/2015 5:05:03 PM
Otto wants Dayton to strike budget bill over audit clause (from @AP ) #mnleg m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/c…

by Brian Bakst via twitter retweeted by rljourno 5/18/2015 5:05:28 PM
Petersen says loss of compensatory grant programs money is loss of $3M a year in Anoka-Hennepin SD

by Ricardo Lopez via twitter 5/18/2015 5:06:22 PM

StarTribune

Live: Last day of 2015 legislative session

Gov. Mark Dayton says he’s willing to risk shutdown and a special session to boost funding for early education.