>> Mary: WE'RE STILL KEEPING EDUCATION IN FOCUS.

NOW IT'S THE MONEY SIDE.

AND WE HAVE A REPUBLICAN RETIRING LAWMAKER FROM LITTLE FALLS, WHO HAS SERVED OVER A DECADE IN THE LEGISLATURE AND A MAJORITY OF HIS TIME HAS BEEN CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS FOR SCHOOL BUDGETS.

>> I LOOK ACK TO MY GRANDFATHER, WHO WAS A WORLD WAR II VET, AND I WAS THE OLDEST OF THE GRANDCHILDREN, AND, SO, THINKING BACK TO ON THE FARM AND AS HE TOOK US AROUND ON THE TRACTOR, AND HE WAS JUST THIS VERY BIGGER-THAN-LIFE JOVIAL PERSON BUT HE ALWAYS HAD A MORAL COMPASS ABOUT HIM THAT WAS PHENOMENAL.

>> WE CONTINUE TO BURDEN OUR SCHOOLS WITH UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT JUST DON'T APPLY.

WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO JUST KEEP THROWING THINGS AT THEM.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR FUNDING IS EQUITABLE BETWEEN OUR RURAL SCHOOLS AND OUR METRO SCHOOLS.

>> Mary: HOW HOUSE COMMITTEES CONTROL CASH WILL ALSO CHANGE WITH NEW CHAIRS LEADING THROUGH A LENS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.

>> WE'VE MOVED PAST THE CONVERSATION THAT THIS EXISTS OR DOESN'T EXIST, JUST TO A CONVERSATION OF, LET'S LOOK AT THE OLUTIONS.

>> THE MINNESOTA BUDGET IS FACING A STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE.

WE NEED TO BE OPEN TO NEW SOLUTIONS.

HOWEVER, I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S EDUCATIONAL BUDGET PROPOSAL.

HE PROPOSES ANOTHER $50 MILLION CUT TO THE EXISTING $2050 MILLION IN SPECIAL -- $250 MILLION CUT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION THAT'S ON THE TAKEN.

>> THIS IS A CHALLENGE THAT I PUT OUT TO ALL THE MEMBERS THAT ARE BACK AND ARE GOING TO COME BACK.

PLEASE TAKE THE BIPARTISAN SPIRIT THAT COMES OUT OF THE EDUCATION FINANCE, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE DUSTUPS, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE POLICIES, BUT TAKE THAT AND KEEP THAT AS A STANDARD.

WE NEED THAT.

I'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY OTHER COMMITTEES WHERE THAT GETS DROPPED.

THERE'S MORE AGREEMENT HERE AND MONGST OUR SCHOOLS, HOW WE EDUCATE, THAN THERE IS DISAGREEMENT.

MEMBERS, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, THIS IS MY LAST GAVEL, AND IT'S BEEN AN HONOR.

AND THAT'S ALL FOR THE TIME AND WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO ME.

AND WITH THAT, THIS CONCLUDES OUR BUSINESS FOR TODAY.

OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE THURSDAY, APRIL 16th, 2026.

THIS COMMITTEE IS ADJOURNED.

>> Mary: HERE WITH US NOW IN PERSON, CO-CHAIR, EDUCATION FINANCE, REPRESENTATIVE RON KRESHA.

LET'S REACT TO A FEW OF THOSE THINGS.

FIRST OF ALL, IT'S NOTABLE, I THINK YOU WERE THE FIRST MEMBER TO MOTION SINE DIE, MOST OF OUR AUDIENCE ARE INSIDERS, FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THAT MEANS GO HOME.

>> RIGHT.

>> Mary: WHY GO HOME EARLY AND PERMANENTLY?

>> SO A LOT OF TIMES WE TALK ABOUT THAT AS A JOKE.

I ACTUALLY DID IT, SERIOUSLY THIS YEAR BECAUSE ONE OF THE TRENDS THAT I SAW COMING OFF A VERY EMOTIONAL AND HARD, WE'RE TIED, WE HAD THE TRAUMA OF SPEAKER EMERITUS, THE TRAGEDY, SENATOR HOFFMAN, ALL OF THAT, I THINK PEOPLE WERE BEAT UP SO BAD, WE WERE STRETCHING OURSELVES INTO REALMS WHERE WE WERE BEING UNKIND TO EACH OTHER, CAMPAIGN SPEECHES WERE ALREADY HAPPENING, PEOPLE WERE DOING VIDEO CLIPS.

AND TALKING TO SO MANY PEOPLE AS I WALKED AROUND THE CAPITOL, I WAS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE JUST TAKE A BREAK.

THE GOVERNOR COULD CERTAINLY HAVE CALLED US BACK FOR A SPECIAL SESSION.

WE COULD HAVE WORKED ON SOME ISSUES.

BUT IT REALLY WAS ABOUT BRINGING THE TEMPERATURE DOWN AND NOT DEINVOLVING INTO -- DEDID INVOLVING INTO DEVOLVING PARTISAN INTERESTS AND CAMPAIGN SPEECHES.

>> Mary: THE MAJORITY EADER IN THE OTHER CHAMBER SAID, I THINK THEY'RE REALLY STILL MOURNING HERE AND THEY'RE NOT OKAY AND MAYBE THEY'RE NOT OKAY SAYING THEY'RE NOT OKAY.

HOW MUCH ARE PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGING THE STRAIN THAT ALL OF YOU ARE UNDER?

>> THEY'RE NOT.

THEY'RE NOT.

AND WHEN YOU GO THROUGH TRAUMA, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO PUT OUR BEST FACE ON, LIFT OUR CHIN UP A LITTLE BIT AND SAY WE'RE OKAY.

BUT WE'RE NOT OKAY.

AND THERE'S 134 MEMBERS DOWN THERE THAT ARE STILL DEALING WITH -- WE CAME OUT OF BUDGET TALKS IN A TIED HOUSE THAT WAS SO EXHAUSTING, SO EMOTIONALLY DRAINING, EVERYBODY GAVE EVERYTHING THEY COULD, THE GOOD AND THE BAD, AND THEN WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE FACT THAT WE HAD COLLEAGUES THAT LOST THEIR LIVES.

>> Mary: LET'S LOOK AT SOMETHING GOOD THAT HAPPENED.

TODAY, IN FACT, YOU GOT TO GO UP TO THE ROSTRUM.

>> I DID.

>> Mary: AND YOUR COLLEAGUES ACKNOWLEDGED YOU.

IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT PARTS OF RETIRING, I'M GUESSING.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

TELL US ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT YOU WERE THINKING THROUGH THIS.

>> SO YOU HAVE A SCRIPT.

I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESIDE BEFORE.

BUT THIS, OF COURSE, WAS A SPECIAL ONE.

AND A CALL-OUT TO MY DEAR FRIEND, JANELLE, WHO MADE ME DO THIS.

I DIDN'T WANT TO DO.

THIS AND SHE SAID, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> BUT IT'S VERY POWERFUL.

IT GIVES YOU CLOSURE.

YOU GET TO LOOK OUT AMONG THE CHAMBER.

AND YOU GET TO REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT MY TIME HERE IS PASSING.

>> Mary: LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE IT WAS, THE SCHOOL SAFETY PRESS CONFERENCE, YOU WERE REFERENCING YOUR TIME HERE IS PASSING.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: AND I BELIEVE THE QUOTE I USED IN ALL MY REPORTING WAS YOU SAYING, WHEN MY HEAD GOES TO THE PILLOW AND RESTS AT THE END OF SESSION, SCHOOL SAFETY HAS TO HAPPEN.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: I WON'T BE SATISFIED IF IT DOESN'T.

>> YEAH.

AND I MEANT THAT.

I THINK OU HEARD FROM CO-CHAIRS BENNETT AND JORDAN, AND CHAIR -- CO-CHAIR YOUAKIM.

THERE IS BROAD AGREEMENT.

WE NEED TO PUT SOME POLICIES AND PUT PACKAGE TOGETHER.

HOW WE GET THERE IS GOING TO BE VERY VERY DIFFICULT.

BECAUSE LINKING THINGS TOGETHER, IN THE FINANCE, WE DON'T HAVE A TARGET.

THE WAYS AND MEANS HAS NOT ESTABLISHED ONE.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS VERY DIFFICULT.

WHATEVER WE SPEND NOW WE HAVE TO OFFSET.

SO, I WILL BE VERY SAD IF WE DON'T PUT IT TOGETHER.

I WILL ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SCHOOLS CLOSING, WE HAVE REFERENDUMS NOT PASSING, WE HAVE SPECIAL ED CUTS THAT ARE REAL PROPOSED BY THE GOVERNOR.

THESE ARE REAL DIFFICULT TIMES.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY NOW.

I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT ALL OF YOUR ELECTIONS.

THE FIRST ONE WAS KIND OF CLOSE BUT THEN THEY GET LESS AND LESS CLOSE, THE LAST ELECTION, 96% OF THE VOTE AND NO OPPONENT.

SO WHY LEAVE NOW?

>> WHEN MILK GOES SOUR, TAKE IT OUT OF THE FRIDGE.

AND ANAND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, YOU REACH A CERTAIN POINT, I THINK, IN EVERY CAREER, EVERYTHING YOU DO, WHERE YOU JUST REALIZE, MY TIME IS UP, I CAN TAKE MY SKILLS AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

AND SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TAKE THIS SEAT, FRESH IDEAS, FRESH ENERGY.

AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY THIS PLACE WORKS.

I'VE ALWAYS SAID FROM THE BEGINNING THAT THIS PLACE SHOULD NEVER BE ABOUT US.

AND I THINK TOO OFTEN THE BIGNESS OF THE PLACE, WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND, IT'S BIG, THAT'S OVERWHELMING, BUT THE SMALLNESS OF THE PLACE CAN GET TO YOU, THE PETTINESS, AND, YOU KNOW, THE FIGHTS BACK HOME WITH THE MISINFORMATION AND THE WAY WE SAY THINGS OR PEOPLE SAY THINGS ABOUT US.

IT'S CHALLENGING.

AND IT'S JUST TIME.

IT'S JUST TIME.

>> Mary: AND VERY QUICKLY, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

YOU CAN PICK ONE THING.

>> WOW.

THERE WAS A BILL THAT WE PASSED THAT ALLOWED CHILDREN UNDER 14 TO GET REPRESENTATION, AND THAT WAS A VERY -- CHILDREN IN ABUSIVE SITUATIONS.

THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE TOUGHEST BILLS I PASSED.

>> Mary: BIPARTISAN CHILD PROTECTION.

>> YES.

>> Mary: YEAH.

AND EARLY LEARNING.

YOU ALSO HAD SOME BIPARTISAN WINS ON THAT, TOO.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CAREER.