Special education cuts could squeeze every Minnesota classroom, cattle thieves take a Bemidji farmer’s entire herd, and bats in Bloomington for Halloween.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP...
[BAT SOUNDS]
A HALLOWEEN HANGOUT IN BLOOMINGTON ... WHERE THE GUEST OF HONOR SLEEPS UPSIDE DOWN.
BUT FIRST ...
WHY LESS STATE FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION COULD AFFECT EVERY CLASSROOM ACROSS MINNESOTA.
[MINNETONKA FINANCE DIRECTOR PAUL BOURGEOIS: SO.. THE THING IS.. SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS DON'T GO AWAY…]
--2028 SCHOOL BUDGET DEFICIT $2M – MINNETONKA--
AS EDUCATION COSTS RISE AND STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING FALLS … MANY MINNESOTA SCHOOLS ARE FORCED TO CUT PROGRAMS AND TEACHING POSITIONS.
AN UPCOMING CHANGE IN STATE SCHOOL FUNDING WOULD REDUCE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING FOR EVERY DISTRICT.
ALL MINNESOTA SCHOOLS MUST PROVIDE REQUIRED SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES …
BUT A LAW PASSED LAST YEAR ALSO MANDATES A TWO-HUNDRED-FIFTY-MILLION DOLLAR CUT IN SPECIAL-EDUCATION STATEWIDE STARTING NEXT JULY... SPREAD OVER TWO YEARS
IN THE WEST METRO ... MINNETONKA IS ALREADY TRYING TO REWORK IT'S NEXT BUDGET TO ACCOUNT FOR A PROJECTED LOSS OF MORE THAN THREE-MILLION-DOLLARS.
MINNETONKA'S FINANCIAL DIRECTOR EXPLAINS THE TRADE-OFF ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL FACE.
[MINNETONKA FINANCE DIRECTOR PAUL BOURGEOIS: IN FACT, WE BY LAW ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE WHATEVER IT TAKES, PRETTY MUCH. SO, THE REDUCTION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING JUST MEANS THAT ALL THOSE SERVICES WOULD HAVE TO BE PAID FOR BY PULLING MONEY OUT OF THE BASIC FORMULA REVENUE, WHICH GOES PRIMARILY FOR REGULAR INSTRUCTION.]
THAT REGULAR INSTRUCTION MONEY IS USED FOR CLASSES LIKE, MATH ... SCIENCE ... AND MUSIC.
MINNETONKA OFFICIALS WANT LAWMAKERS TO REPEAL THE LAW ... A CHANGE THEY SAY COULD BENEFIT EVERY MINNESOTA SCHOOL DISTRICT.
--SCHOOL FUNDING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT EXPLAINED--
AND NEXT TUESDAY ... MINNESOTA VOTERS WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO INCREASE PAYMENTS FROM THE PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND ... MONEY THAT COULD HELP DISTRICTS OFFSET SOME OF THAT FUNDING PRESSURE.
THE AMENDMENT WOULD ALLOW PAYMENTS BASED ON THE FUND'S TOTAL INVESTMENT VALUE ... RATHER THAN ONLY INTEREST AND DIVIDENDS.
A COMPANION LAW WOULD SET AN ANNUAL FOUR-AND-A-HALF-PERCENT PAYOUT ... BEGINNING NEXT JULY.
IT WOULD NOT RAISE INCOME OR PROPERTY TAX RATES.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE.... LEAVING THE QUESTION BLANK HAS THE SAME EFFECT AS VOTING NO.
--INDIAN COUNTRY DOGE CUTS – INTRO--
MINNESOTA’S ELEVEN TRIBAL NATIONS RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT’S TREATY OBLIGATIONS …
BUT RESEARCHERS SAY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CUTS ARE UNDERMINING THOSE COMMITMENTS.
[AMPERS MEMBER STATION K-A-X-E'S CHELSEY PERKINS HAS MORE: ]
--INDIAN COUNTRY DOGE CUTS – KAXE--
Cuts spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency led to $469 million in reductions to grants and contracts for tribal communities.
The findings come in a new report by Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan research and policy organization. About 5.7 million of those cuts took place in Minnesota.
Indigenous news outlet ICT reports there have been several instances where these DOGE cuts were found by courts to be illegal.
Previous studies show the cuts disproportionately affected tribal communities. Many came to programs focused on environmental efforts, agriculture, and economic development.
The study's authors recommend that Congress pass a law shielding Indian country from future funding cuts that are based on political whims and also force federal agencies to reissue funds when the cuts are found to be illegal.
Chelsea Perkins, KAXE News.
--FRASER SHIPYARD EXPANSION--
MORE SHIPBUILDING JOBS COULD BE COMING TO THE TWIN PORTS ...
'WILDCAT DEFENSE' PLANS A THREE-HUNDRED-FIFTY-MILLION-DOLLAR EXPANSION AT FRASER SHIPYARDS IN SUPERIOR ... WISCONSIN ... ACROSS THE HARBOR FROM DULUTH ...
IT HAS AGREED TO BUY THE SHIPYARD’S PARENT COMPANY ... FRASER INDUSTRIES ...
THE COMPANIES EXPECT THE SALE TO CLOSE IN ABOUT THREE MONTHS ...
--CATTLE RUSTLIN' THEFTS UP--
A BEMIDJI FARMER SAYS CATTLE THIEVES STOLE HIS ENTIRE HERD FROM A RENTED PASTURE IN NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA.
THE FARMER TELLS VALLEY NEWS LIVE SOMEONE USED FEED TO LURE AND LOAD HIS ELEVEN COWS INTO A TRAILER … IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN EARLIER THIS MONTH.
THE HUBBARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING … AND THE FARMER SAYS HE’S SEARCHING FOR HIS COWS AS WELL.
--MINNESOTA BEAR HARVEST UP--
MINNESOTA BEAR HUNTERS JUST RECORDED ONE OF THE STATE’S BIGGEST HARVESTS ON RECORD.
PRELIMINARY NUMBERS SHOW HUNTERS KILLED MORE THAN 4-THOUSAND BEARS THIS YEAR.
THAT’S ABOUT 13 HUNDRED MORE THAN LAST YEAR … MAKING IT THE THIRD LARGEST SEASON.
OFFICIALS ESTIMATE MINNESOTA HAS BETWEEN 13- TO 18-THOUSAND BLACK BEARS.
--BAT FESTIVAL WITH REAL BATS IN BLOOMINGTON--
AND FINALLY …
[BAT CHIRPS]
THAT’S THE CALL OF A BIG BROWN BAT ... SLOWED DOWN FOR HUMAN EARS.
ON SATURDAY... YOU CAN MEET A BIG BROWN BAT NAMED.. EUGENE...
HE DOESN’T NEED A HALLOWEEN COSTUME ... .
BUT... EVERYONE ELSE IS ENCOURAGED TO WEAR A COSTUME TO SEE HIM AT SATURDAY’S FREE 'MINNESOTA BAT FESTIVAL' IN BLOOMINGTON.
THERE’S A REPLICA CAVE ... AND A COSTUME PARADE.
IT RUNS FROM TEN TO FOUR ... AT THE MINNESOTA VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE VISITOR CENTER.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.