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Special education funding gap remains, Minnesota lawmakers no closer to special session

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Special education funding gap remains, Minnesota lawmakers no closer to special session


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Ten days after Minnesota lawmakers left dozens of points within the lurch after they adjourned the legislative session with out motion on main payments, they seem no nearer to coming again.

Funding for particular training providers was among the many greatest line gadgets within the $8 billion grand cut price that lawmakers did not get throughout the end line. Lawmakers had broad settlement to handle a spot in particular ed funding, however the Home and Senate ended the session $250 million aside on that difficulty.

A spot exists between the price of particular training providers that college districts are required to supply and the quantity that the federal and state governments give them. That hole, generally known as a cross subsidy, forces districts to shift cash from elsewhere to cowl particular training prices, which means cuts to different applications or requesting property tax will increase from voters.

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“That’s a giant chunk of cash that’s popping out of our normal ed fund that we’re spending for one thing that each the state and federal authorities ought to deal with,” Farmington Space Public Colleges Superintendent Jason Berg stated in an interview. He stated the district’s cross subsidy is round $8.5 million for the present faculty yr.

In early Could, faculty teams banded collectively to push the particular training funding difficulty. Their efforts appeared to repay: within the closing days of the legislative session, Home Democrats and Senate Republicans had been each proposing lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} to partially shut the funding hole.

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However the closing provides traded between the Home and Senate, since offered to FOX 9, present that the Senate proposed $911 million over the following three years. The Home countered with $661 million over the identical interval, preferring to make use of the remainder of the obtainable cash on different education schemes.

Berg stated addressing the particular training cross subsidy would offer the most important profit to many districts.

“When individuals discuss offering extra psychological well being, extra counselors, there’s been loads of discuss literacy skilled improvement, we might have sufficient funding to do these types of issues with out it being earmarked if the particular ed cross subsidy wasn’t there for us,” he stated.

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Lawmakers additionally did not go $4 billion in tax breaks, $1 billion for well being and human providers, $450 million for public security, and lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in transportation funding.

Per week and a half after the common session ended, there was no progress towards a particular session. DFL Gov. Tim Walz and Republican senators gave totally different views about how shut the edges are to an settlement.

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Walz stated he was disillusioned that Senate Republicans don’t share his optimism about being near closing offers.

“I feel we’re on the one-yard line. It appears like they need to take a knee,” Walz instructed reporters at an occasion close to the Capitol on Thursday. “I don’t need to take a knee. Simply end this factor. Get ‘er achieved.”

A gathering is scheduled with Home Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Chief Jeremy Miller on Friday, Walz stated.

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State Sen. Zack Duckworth, a member of the training convention committee, stated he did not know of any negotiations on Ok-12 funding because the session ended. Constituents aren’t clamoring for a particular session, he stated.

“As you possibly can think about, it’s a combined bag,” stated Duckworth, R-Lakeville. “We’ve some constituents who say, ‘Hey, it’s not a price range yr, cease spending cash. I do know you’ve acquired a surplus. We would like you to scale back our taxes and allow us to hold extra of our hard-earned cash so we will present for our households.’”

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Berg, whose colleges are in Duckworth’s Senate district, stated Walz and lawmakers ought to attain agreements and have a particular session.

“We’ve a saying round right here that the consequence for not doing all of your work is doing all of your work. I absolutely consider that the legislators have work that’s undone,” he stated.



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Minnesota vs Illinois: Who are the projeced starters for both teams?

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Minnesota vs Illinois: Who are the projeced starters for both teams?


Minnesota vs Illinois: Who are the projeced starters for both teams?

The Minnesota Golden Gophers will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday afternoon at 11:00 a.m. CT in Champlain. The Gophers are seeking their fourth straight win and their sixth win of the season to officially become bowl eligible.

Illinois on the other hand will look to get back in the win column after suffering their second loss of the season last week to Oregon 38-9. The Illini entered this week ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll.

With that being said, who are the projected starters for the Golden Gophers and Illini on Saturday and are there any injury concerns amongst the starters for both teams?

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In terms of offensive injury concerns, Minnesota enters this game healthy, Illinois, however, will be potentially without starting wide receiver Pat Bryant. Bryant left last week’s game against Oregon with a head injury. He’s expected to be a game time decision on Saturday afternoon.

Both sides are rather healthy on the defensive side of the ball entering this week. While not a starter, safety Darius Green would likely be considered questionable at this moment. He was questionable in the Gophers win last week over Maryland and did not appear in the game. The Illini enter this week healthy on defense.

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Blue Cross of Minnesota agrees to legal settlement for better mental health coverage

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Blue Cross of Minnesota agrees to legal settlement for better mental health coverage


Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has reached a settlement with the state attorney general over concerns the Eagan-based health insurer failed to comply with laws insisting that health plans cover mental health services the same as they cover treatments for physical health problems.

The Minnesota Blues plan denied any wrongdoing, but agreed to a series of new oversight provisions. In addition, the insurer will operate under new mental and behavioral health care rules that call for prompt decisions on prior authorization requests as well as applications by health care providers to join the health insurer’s network.

Blue Cross will be required to pay a $300,000 civil penalty if a court finds the insurer has violated terms of the settlement, which was announced Friday. In addition, Blue Cross is contributing $600,000 to a center for rural behavioral health at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

“Mental and behavioral health care is health care, period,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement. “We expect someone with a broken leg to be able to get the care they need, and the same should be true of Minnesotans struggling with conditions like depression or substance use disorder.”

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Blue Cross said in a statement that it shares Ellison’s commitment to ensuring patients have timely access to “high quality and affordable mental health care.”

“Blue Cross has enhanced our practices related to addressing mental health benefits and access to care to ensure we are meeting the high expectations of members and other stakeholders,” the insurer said. “Today, our strategy is focused on transforming all mental health solutions in ways that can set new industry standards for equitable access to optimal care.”

The settlement is the latest in a series of agreements over the past 18 months between the state and Minnesota health insurers for improved coverage of mental health.

The earlier agreements were prompted by alleged violations of mental health parity laws, which have been adopted over the past two decades to improve patient access to mental health and behavioral health treatments.



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Minnesota Vikings Week 9 playbook: What to know ahead of Colts matchup

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Minnesota Vikings Week 9 playbook: What to know ahead of Colts matchup


The Vikings have lost back-to-back games after starting 5-0. Now they will turn to Cam Robinson, 29, to help protect quarterback Sam Darnold’s blindside after losing standout LT Christian Darrisaw to a torn ACL and MCL. Can they get a win this week against a Colts team that has benched Anthony Richardson in favor of Joe Flacco?

Week 9 vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday at 7:20 p.m. CT (NBC)

Catch up on what you need to know from this week on the Vikings:

Vikings trade for Jaguars LT Cam Robinson
The Vikings addressed their massive void at left tackle by trading for Jaguars offensive lineman Cam Robinson.

Vikings not sweating rookie’s quiet start
“I think Dallas (Turner) is going to be just fine. I think everybody wants everything right now, and he does, too. We’ll get him out there.”

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Meet the former Vikings visionary known as the grandfather of NFL analytics
Retired analyst Mike Eayrs was “so far ahead of the curve” that he is credited with popularizing data science in the NFL in the 1980s.

What Christian Darrisaw’s injury means
Losing their talented left tackle will make it harder for an inconsistent Vikings offense that has already had trouble sustaining drives.

• 📈Power Rankings: Vikings at No. 8
The No. 17 pick in this year’s draft has one sack and three quarterback pressures through seven games.

Scouting the Colts

Joe Flacco will be Colts starting QB ‘going forward’
The decision to bench Anthony Richardson and start Joe Flacco at quarterback is not a temporary one, coach Shane Steichen said.

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Anthony Richardson has hard lesson to learn from the bench
Richardson’s time in Indianapolis may not be over, but his path back to being the Colts starting QB will be a big challenge.

NFL execs debate Colts benching Richardson
“He hasn’t had many live reps in his football career. This season should have been presented as that development and growth across the board.”

Richardson’s benching goes far beyond his play
“What a fascinating management dilemma to be in,” a former executive from one of the Colts’ division rivals said.

Colts GM Chris Ballard has failed to live up to bold promises
Technically, Ballard still has personnel control in Indy, but the chances of him fulfilling the promise proclaimed by his owner are dwindling by the day.

How good are the Vikings?

Check out Austin Mock’s 2024 NFL projections, where you will find each team’s probability of conquering its division, advancing through the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl. The projections are based on 100,000 simulations of the remainder of the season, which factors in each team’s projected strength, current health as well as its remaining schedule.

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(Photo of Justin Jefferson: Harry How / Getty Images)





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