Denise Specht
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO/WCCO) – Following the Minnesota legislature announcing Tuesday that the state’s surplus had risen to $17.6 billion, various interest groups have begun eyeing the funds.
Among those looking to utilize the surplus is the union representing Minnesota teachers, which will be front and center at the state capital this upcoming session.
Education Minnesota President Denise Specht said teacher recruitment and retention is a big issue, and the current level of understaffing isn’t helping.
“We need our schools to be places where people want to work,” Specht said. “In this environment, workers have choices, and when schools are understaffed or under-resourced, we don’t have people that are even looking at schools as a viable option for employment.”
Specht said the union will be asking the legislature for more than $5 billion to fix what she calls “chronic underfunding,” boost teacher compensation packages and bring more mental health staff into schools.
Whether or not they will get the funds will remain up in the air until next year, as legislatures will return to work in January.
Even still, state officials have already shared their hopes for the surplus. This includes state Republicans that shared their thoughts on Tuesday.
House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth called the news of the surplus “jaw-dropping,” saying that Minnesotans are overtaxed, and that the money needs to go back into the wallets of Minnesotans.
“I look forward to the next session, balancing out our revenues, so we aren’t taking so much from the families,” Demuth said.
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