Committee Passes Vehicle Bill to Give More Money to Education

Air Date:03/07/2011

By Jenifer Jones

The Senate State Affairs Committee unanimously passed a vehicle bill aimed at sending more money to school districts. Senator Russell Olson is a sponsor of the bill. He says the Bureau of Finance and Management's new projections show more money in excess reserves than originally thought. House Bill 1110 gives that money back to school districts. Bureau of Finance and Management Commissioner Jason Dilges says the one time money is to be used for one time expenses.

"Primarily what this is targeted toward is a step down approach, something to soften the blow, to help some of those districts to be able manage two years down the road, not just for one year down the road," Dilges says. "I think whatever dollar amount his happens to be will help to soften that blow and to reduce it on a one time basis."

Lawmakers will add a specific dollar amount to the bill after the Appropriations Committee ratifies new revenue figures. Proponents say it goes hand in hand with another education funding measure, Senate Bill 152.

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