The Education Minnesota teachers union says Senate Republicans’ plan for permanent tax cuts favors the wealthy and “would leave the state without enough resources to provide students with all the academic and emotional support they need to succeed.” It highlights what has become a perennial gulf between Republicans and Democrats, back in full force this year because of a record state budget surplus. Senator Tom Bakk, independent from Cook in northern Minnesota, spotlighted the problem: “Our school systems gotta take a look at… why are so many… parents pulling their kids out of the public school system? And it’s hurting the public school system because with every one, kind of on average it’s about 10 thousand dollars” in state funding.
Republicans argue, don’t pour more money into schools without proven measures to improve student outcomes, and use a large chunk of the budget surplus for permanent tax cuts — which Democrats say will benefit the wealthy, sapping tax breaks for working families and taking badly-needed money from schools.