Representative Kristi Pursell said she is going to take some time to rest and be with her family after the end of her first session as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The session which ended last week saw a flurry of bills passed over the last five months, far more than had been passed during any other session in recent memory.
With the Minnesota DFL party in control of the House, the Senate, and the Governor’s Office, Democrats were able to pass just about every item on their agenda, from giving convicted felons the right to vote after they are released from prison to legalizing recreational marijuana use, and much more.
Among the most far reaching of the new laws will be the establishment of a paid family leave program that will allow for a person to take time off from their job after welcoming a new family member or to care for a sick family member. The program will be paid for by employee and employer contributions into a new state insurance agency. Pursell said there were concerns about the effect those contributions would have on small businesses, which is why the new law exempts microbusinesses from making the employer contributions and allows smaller businesses to make smaller contributions than major corporations.
Pursell said that is an idea that makes sense.
“With Minnesota Care, for example, it’s [been] this cliff. You make $1.00 more {then the eligibility limit} and boom, you are off the program. And I think we have learned from that for the Minnesota Care buy in legislation that also got passed, there’s sort of this tiered [system.] If you make, this many dollars over that limit, then it’s this cost.”
She also said not everything her party had hoped to accomplish happened. For example, the House and Senate both passed a bill that would have mandated higher wages for Uber and Lyft drivers. However, facing an ultimatum by Uber and Lyft that the companies would dramatically limit the service they would provide in greater Minnesota, Governor Walz vetoed the bill, making it the first bill he has vetoed while he has been in office.
Pursell said that was a disappointment.
“Having the governor veto that bill is very disappointing. It seems like maybe there is a trend. You know, Mayo Clinic threatens to pull out money [if the nurse staffing bill passes,] and then the governor’s office wants to shore that up. Uber threatens to not serve Greater Minnesota, and the bill becomes a study.”
Overall, however, she said she was proud of the work she and her party did over the session, even if she understands not everyone in the state shares that opinion.
“I think when there’s just a lot of treading water and standing still, it’s hard to be able to see the difference between priorities of parties. So, the fact that we took action means we will see far reaching consequences from that into the future. I’m excited about what that future looks like and I’ve heard from a lot of folks that they are too. And that may not be the case for everyone, and that’s fine.”
Pursell said she is going to take the rest of the year to talk with constituents and learn more about specific issues. She also said she already has bills ready to introduce in 2024.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Kristi Pursell can be heard here
Hillmann says the need to teach for the future is a real responsibility
The Northfield School District has entered into a new lease for iPads for each Northfield student.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said the new lease is for about 4000 iPads, which is slightly lower than the 4200 in the last lease because of declining enrollment. Each iPad will be put into a good, durable case, and the middle and high school students will be given a Logitech Crayon to use as well. Dr. Hillman said elementary students don’t use the stylus’ as often as secondary students, so rather than lease one for each student in grades 1-5, elementary teachers will beagle to check out class sets as necessary.
Nearly ten years after they were first approved by the Northfield School Board, there are still questions in the community about the use of personal technology in Northfield Classrooms. Hillmann said he understands some of those questions, but it is important for all students to have access to technology, if for no other reason than for students to learn the responsible use of devices like an iPad. Students need to know, he said, when it is appropriate to use something, and when it should be set aside. And while this is not the way most parents used technology when they were in school, he said the district has to acknowledge the way times change.
“It’s our job to prepare our students for their future, and not our past. Part of it is having access to technology, equitable access to technology. [And we face] all of the challenges that go with that. We have to prepare kids for the world they’re going to be in, not the one that we would like it to be.”
That includes, he said, exposure to the use of artificial intelligence as well. Although it remains a new idea for the general public to have access to sites like Chat GPT, Hillmann remarked that the “Genie is out of the bottle” with regards to AI, and technology is not going to move backwards. While the best use of AI in education has yet to be determined, students, he said, should be educated about the best ways to use such technology.
The old IPads, he said, will be sold in a lot, and the proceeds of the sale will be used to partially pay the new lease.
Council will discuss mill & overlay bids tonight
And the Northfield City Council will meet for a work session tonight in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
The one item on the agenda this evening wil be to review the bids the city has received for the 2023 Mill & Overlay Street Projects.
The request for bids went out late this year, as the project was delayed by a group objecting to the construction of protected two-lane bicycle lanes, and an off-street bicycle lane that will run across the front lawns and driveways of some residents. As time is now of the essence to accept a bid, the Council will meet tonight ina special work session, and will vote to accept the selected bid at the regular meeting next week.
As always, the City Council and the Northfield City Staff are eager to hear the opinions of the public on any matter, whether the subject is on the Council agenda or not. Tonight’s meeting is a work session, so the Council will not hear from the public. However, those who do wish to make a point, air an opinion or ask a question can email their councilor directly or make use of the eComment function which can be found in the “Agendas” section of the city website.
The meeting will begin tonight at 6pm.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
