EdAction
Maple River Education Coalition PAC
105 Peavey Rd, St 116 
Chaska, MN  55318 
952-361-4931
http://www.EdAction.org
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May 3, 2001

Update from St. Paul

The national workforce plan is already in place in federal law and the Governor dutifully signed his name to Minnesota's compliance, long before the legislature had legislation before them. That is not an easy picture to comprehend.

Until this year, it is safe to say legislators had no idea a federal central planning system was being driven into place in Minnesota, and in every state, by federal mandate. They had heard of Goals 2000 and School-to-Work through several years of education protest, but the Title I federal mandate and the Workforce Investment Act was not on the legislative map.

This year it is on the map, thanks to your persistence, your commitment, your determination to be involved. While there is still far too little public understanding of what the system is, how swiftly it is being put into place, and how the authority of elected legislators has been shunted aside, we have seen some significant awareness opening up to some at the Capitol.

Some legislators have been moved to read the federal laws under which the mandates for these changes are taking place. For some, it has been an eye opener. Genuine efforts have been made by a number of legislators to make amendments to legislative language in an attempt to guard the system against becoming what we know it is intended to be. We thank them for those efforts.

The real test will be whether or not these amendments survive negotiations in conference committees.

See the Voting Records on Workforce Centralized Planning

EdAction - 105 Peavey Rd, Ste 116, Chaska, MN  55318 
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