As Minnesota Senate lawmakers prepare to mark-up a major higher education funding bill (Thursday), Democrats lament the increase for public colleges and universities falls far short of what’s needed — while Republicans respond they did the best they can. “We have limited dollars and we just together need to keep working to make them as useful as we can,” says Chaska Republican Scott Jensen. Shoreview Democrat Jason Isaacson responds employers want a well-trained workforce. “My friends across the aisle drone on about being a high-tax state and a difficult place to do business,” he says, “yet I continue to see all these Fortune 500 companies and very large businesses do business here.”
Senate Republicans’ bill would give Minnesota’s public colleges and universities a 100-million-dollar increase. House Democrats’ number is three times that.