Signs of bipartisanship in the legislature?

Sen. Nelson says in a column on this page, the Minnesota Legislature has gotten off to a fast start for the 2024 session. Some of the first things to be considered seem to be benefitting from at least an attempt at bipartisanship.
One of the first things legislators did was to come to an agreement on changes to the School Resource Officer (SRO) legislation passed last year. Both sides understood that there were problems with the law as passed and were able to work together across the aisle to quickly make needed changes. The bill passed both legislative chambers by overwhelming majorities. Both Democrats and Republicans saw fixes to the bill as a priority for this session.
A major complaint against the legislation was that it restricted an SROs ability to restrain children. Because of this some law enforcement agencies removed SROs from schools because of the ban on student restraints. While some of those complaints were addressed by a clarification from Attorney General Keith Ellingson, both sides agreed additional action by the legislature was needed.
The new law allows officers to put students in the “prone position” but limits use of the hold. It also will require SROs to undergo special training and obtain state certification.
There are several other issues making their way through the legislature that are important to residents in Greater Minnesota including Dodge County. Hopefully these issues can also be discussed and solutions be reached that are bipartisan.
One of these also discussed by Nelson is a P-TECH bill that she co-authored. P-Tech is a public-private partnership that prepares students for highly skilled jobs in growth industries with a focus on STEM careers.
The bill has received its first hearing in the Senate Education Finance Committee. It aims to provide more students with the opportunity to earn tuition-free college credits in high school, graduate from college sooner with less debt and receive job training and apprenticeships. Nelson said that there is a bipartisan effort to expand the program and that the bill has been laid over for possible inclusion in the Education Committee’s policy bill.
Another issue that members in both parties can agree on is that Minnesota, and especially Greater Minnesota, has a severe shortage of workers in Fire Departments and among emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
This week, Gov. Tim Walz announced that he was submitting a one-page supplemental budget proposal. The supplemental budget, he said, “invests in the core services that ensure Minnesotans can live safer, healthier, better lives.”
That budget includes $16 million to support ambulance services in Greater Minnesota.
A related bill making its way through the process is a fire pensions bill that would allow fire marshals, assistant fire marshals, battalion chiefs, assistant and deputy chiefs and fire investigators to be eligible for PERA P&F benefits regardless of where they began their careers.