Legislation that unions say would let local units of government "opt out" of state requirements on collective bargaining, prevailing wages, pay equity and unemployment insurance has passed a Minnesota House committee.
"We are very opposed to this bill," said Jan Alswager of Education Minnesota. The legislation (H.F. 1172) would require the Legislature to give priority to changing or eliminating a wide range of state laws or rules if six counties, 24 school districts or various combinations of cities or towns (depending on their size) challenge the impact of those laws.
Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake, denies his legislation will allow local governments to avoid state mandates. "It will not do this," he said. "It does not void the objectives. It requires local governments to state how they will meet the objectives."
But his legislation exempts fewer than a dozen areas, allowing local governments to challenge any other law or rule that "imposes a cost on local government" or meets other guidelines.
Alswager said that leaves dozens of areas open to challenge just in schools, including requirements governing labor law, health and safety, teacher certification, staff development, class sizes, transportation, testing and special education.
Olson said his bill is intended primarily as a method of "government-to-government communication," in which local governments can tell the state which requirements are too costly. "What local government gets out of this is not an assurance that they can opt out or reform a mandate, only an assurance that they'll get a response," he said.
Brad Lehto, legislative director of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, noted that Olson has modified his proposal over the years, but keeps bringing it back. "You can dress up a bad proposal but it's still a bad proposal," Lehto said.
The House Government Operations Committee passed the bill March 16. The legislation now goes to the House Education Policy and Reform Committee.
Michael Kuchta edits the Union Advocate, the newspaper of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly, AFL-CIO. E-mail him at advocate@mtn.org
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Legislation that unions say would let local units of government “opt out” of state requirements on collective bargaining, prevailing wages, pay equity and unemployment insurance has passed a Minnesota House committee.
“We are very opposed to this bill,” said Jan Alswager of Education Minnesota. The legislation (H.F. 1172) would require the Legislature to give priority to changing or eliminating a wide range of state laws or rules if six counties, 24 school districts or various combinations of cities or towns (depending on their size) challenge the impact of those laws.
Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake, denies his legislation will allow local governments to avoid state mandates. “It will not do this,” he said. “It does not void the objectives. It requires local governments to state how they will meet the objectives.”
But his legislation exempts fewer than a dozen areas, allowing local governments to challenge any other law or rule that “imposes a cost on local government” or meets other guidelines.
Alswager said that leaves dozens of areas open to challenge just in schools, including requirements governing labor law, health and safety, teacher certification, staff development, class sizes, transportation, testing and special education.
Olson said his bill is intended primarily as a method of “government-to-government communication,” in which local governments can tell the state which requirements are too costly. “What local government gets out of this is not an assurance that they can opt out or reform a mandate, only an assurance that they’ll get a response,” he said.
Brad Lehto, legislative director of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, noted that Olson has modified his proposal over the years, but keeps bringing it back. “You can dress up a bad proposal but it’s still a bad proposal,” Lehto said.
The House Government Operations Committee passed the bill March 16. The legislation now goes to the House Education Policy and Reform Committee.
Michael Kuchta edits the Union Advocate, the newspaper of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly, AFL-CIO. E-mail him at advocate@mtn.org