Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act Makes Appearance in Senate; Passes Portions into Omnibus Bill via System of Short Bills
While we’ve had our eyes on the “big bills”, the DFL-authored House Files 1 and 30 and Senate Files 820 and 671, the Senate and House have been obfuscating transparency, replicating clone after clone, 28 in all cloning from within and without, passing HF 1/SF 820 via short, near-single subject bills. Recently, you might remember that HF 1 grew in size from 8 to 26 pages, greatly broadening the scope of the bill. In the end, the only way to stop House File 1 is for the Senate to stand strong for liberty! We are expecting that they will!!!
One of the biggest problems with House File 1 is it’s one-size-fits-all ideology. Whether it’s prenatal care, home visits, babies in the schools or a myriad of grant programs and appropriations, PARENTS have that first right to raise their children as they see best. It is not the role of government to herd expectant mothers toward socialized medicine programs with agendized outcomes for all adults and children. It is not the role of government to send social workers and other government workers into our homes to snoop out every corner all while taking data on how they feel we’re doing. It is not the role of government to push all mothers into the workforce because the baby boomers are in decline, and thus, their babies must go into the schools. It is not the role of government to fund and “kindly” force new daycares into the Race to the Top Parent Aware accountability system. It is not the role of government to attempt to predetermine our lives in any single way!
Of immediate concern, House File 1 has essentially passed into the Omnibus in its entirety. Some funding levels are now left blank which means there will be changes. This has taken a good deal of research to read each clone bill and determine how each matches up with the HF 1. The Senate has passed a series of short, single subject bills that are replicas of SF 820 (companion to HF 1) or the newly expanded version.
There are many concerns going forward, however. Once a bill is passed in one chamber, amendments are a big concern. Amendments may be brought to the Senate floor vote or to Conference Committee, bringing the Senate into closer approximation with House. Will these Senate bills be used as “bargaining chips”?
This is not a good position to be in and MACC recommends you call / email the following Senators as well as your own Senator immediately: Senators Jim Abeler, Michelle Benson, Scott Jensen, Justin Eichorn, Karin Housley, Mary Kiffmeyer, Roger Chamberlain, Andrew Mathews, Julie Rosen, Carla Nelson, Eric Pratt and Paul Gazelka.
For sure, the Great Start Act is a Trojan Horse for Minnesota. Some might refer to this Act as a “slippery slope”. And indeed, Great Start is a slippery slope that would change the educational and health landscape of Minnesota within a quick year or two. This is an end-game scenario! We, at MACC, have never believed that a successful strategy equates with waiting until we are down to that very last vestige of hope! We believe in standing strong on behalf of our freedoms, our parental rights and local control.
Thanks to all who’ve been calling! We’d appreciate our members also sending emails. Most of the Senators do not know this bill as well as we do, plain and simple. This bill is coming out of the agencies and most have never read the bill. (Below you’ll find a list of the original and 28 clone bills. Some bills are exact clones coming out of the 8 page original HF 1 while other bills are being passed to expand the scope of HF 1. Special attention is given to the senators since HF 1 will easily pass the House.) Keep up the calling and emailing!
Expect to see a video explaining the expanded HF 1 on Monday. A hearing for SF 855 is set for Tuesday, March 26 in Senator Benson’s committee.
ORIGINAL BILLS
HF 1 & SF 820 introduced 1.10.2019 and 2.04.2019. DFL-authors only.
Hearing in House Early Childhood Committee, 3.07.2019. Full 35 pages.
CLONE BILLS #1 & #2
HF 30 & SF 671 introduced 1.10.2019 and 1.31.2019. DFL- only.
No hearings for either. Full 35 pages.
CLONE BILLS #3 & #4: Replica of Article 2, Home Visits
HF 1226 introduced 2.14.2019 & SF 1438 introduced 2.18.2019. Bipartisan
SF 1438 introduced 2.18.2019. Hearing for HF 1226, 2.21.2019. HF 1226 goes to Omnibus.
SF 1438 authors: Relph, Abeler, Eichorn No hearing.
CLONE BILLS #5 & #6: Replica of Article I, Prenatal Care as Socialized Healthcare
HF 909 & SF 855 introduced 2.07.2019 and 2.07.2019. HF 909 heard in Health & Human Services 2.27.2019 and Early Childhood 3.26.2019. Passed to Omnibus.
SF 855 authors: Sens. Abeler, Benson, Jensen Hearing on Tuesday.
***SF 855: HEARING this Tuesday, March 26th in Health & Human Services***
Senate Rm 1200, 3:00pm. 1st hearing prior to the March 29 deadline on companion bills.
CLONE BILLS #7 & #8: Replica Article 3
HF 1238 & SF 1111 introduced 2.14.2019 and 2.11.2019.
HF 1238 heard in Early Childhood 2.19.2019 and 2nd reading, 2.28.2019
SF 1111 heard in Family Care & Aging (Housley) on 3.16.2019. Passed.
SF 1111 authors: Sens. Weber, Eichorn, Relph
Article 3: Line 5.19 to 5.21; Line 8.11 to 9.18; Line 9.19 to 10.13; Line 14.19 to 14.28
CLONE BILL #9: Replica Article 3
HF 1227 introduced 2.14.2019. No Senate companion.
CLONE BILLS #10 & #11: Replica Article 5, Greater Minnesota Child Care Facility Capital Grant Program
HF 423 introduced 1.28.2019. Heard Jobs & Economy 3.05.2019; Early Childhood 3.14; Capital Investment 3.21 1st Engrossment, bill has been amended & passed.
SF 538 introduced 1.28.2019. Heard 2.13.2019 in Family Care & Aging (Housley, chair). Authors. Sens. Relph, Eichorn, M. Johnson Bill NOT amended and passed.
Article 5: Line 32.8 to 34.6
CLONE BILLS #12 & #13: Article 5: Initiative Foundations – funds Parent Aware
HF 422 introduced 1.28.2019. Hear Jobs & Economy 3.05.2019; Early Childhood 3.14.2019.
SF 537 introduced 1.28.2019. Hearing 2.13.2019 passed into Omnibus.
Authors: Sens. Nelson, Weber, Relph
Article 5: Line 34.7 to 35.3
CLONE BILLS #14: Article 4
HF 2575 introduced 3.18.2019. Heard in Early Childhood 3.19.2019. Author: Rep Pinto. No companion in the Senate.
CLONE BILLS #15 & #16: Article 3
HF 2463 introduced 3.13.2019. Heard Early Childhood 3.21.2019. (Pinto)
SF 2630 introduced. No hearing, referred to Senate Education Policy. (Wiklund)
CLONE BILLS #17 & #18: Article 1: Prenatal Care as One-Size-Fits-All
HF No companion
SF 2642 introduced 3.21.2019. No hearing. Original Article 1 modified with additional language to read, “and other emerging public health issues.”
Author: Sen. Abeler
CLONE BILLS #19 & #20: Article 5: First Children’s Finance
HF 2420 introduced 3.13.2019. Hearing 3.19.2019 Early Childhood. Authors: Reps. Davnie, Zerwas, Hamilton, Baker Passed
SF 2559 introduced 3.18.2019. Referred to Housley, Family Care & Aging. Authors: Sens. Housley, Relph, Abeler
CLONE BILLS #21 & #22: Article 1: Funding Public Health Stat. 144.0742
HF 2606 introduced 3.20.2019. Author: Rep Liebling No hearing.
SF 2453 introduced _______ Hearing 3.19.2019. Passed.
SF 2453 Authors: Sens. Benson & Abeler
CLONE BILLS #23 & #24: Article 1: Sets up “commission” of stakeholders to study Article 1 (prove the need)
HF 2171 introduced 3.07.2019. Hearing 3.12.2019 Health & Human Policy; 3.15.2019 Government
Authors: Reps. Davnie, Zerwas
SF 2265 introduced 3.11.2019. No hearing 3.26 (Wednesday!)
SF 2265 Authors: Sens. Eichorn, Abeler, Senjem
*** HEARING this Wednesday, 3.27.2019 Health & Human Services Finance***
CLONES #25 – #28 deal with Child Care assistance for parenting time and custody schedules.
Minnesota Advocates and Champions for Children 
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