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| Date: | February 13, 2012 | | Contact Name: | Libbie Krueger | | Contact Phone: | (651) 296.1388 | | Contact Email: | elizabeth.krueger@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| KRUSE, O’DRISCOLL SPONSOR BILL TO REFORM SCHOOL TRUST LANDS Legislation Forms New Legislative-Citizen Permanent School Fund Commission |
(St. Paul, MN) -- Senator Benjamin Kruse (R-Brooklyn Park) and Representative Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) plan to introduce legislation that will reform the school trust land advisory council. The bill, which has bi-partisan support, creates the Legislative-Citizen Permanent School Fund Commission. The commission will be comprised of both legislators and private citizens who will oversee, manage, and administer school trust lands.
“School trust lands were originally designed to yield a profit for our schools and that is just not happening,” said Kruse. “In 2009, schools only netted 2 percent of the profits from forestry lands, while 98 percent went back into the land. The intent of the proposed public-private partnership is to bring expertise to management of the school trust lands in order to maximize resources for the students in our state.”
The legislation, drafted in response to concerns from stakeholders, models the new commission after one in Utah, a state with a highly successful school trust program. Its goal is to use the expertise of private citizens to professionally manage the school trust lands more efficiently and net more return on investments for Minnesota’s schools.
“The school land trust is a great asset for our state,” said O’Driscoll. “What school district wouldn’t want a little more money to help educate tomorrow’s leaders?”
The bill will be introduced in the House on Monday, February 13th and in the Senate on Thursday, February 16th.
Representive Tim O’Driscoll represents House District 14A and can be reached by phone at (651) 296-7808. He can also be contacted via e-mail at rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn, or via U.S. Mail at 369 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155.
Senator Benjamin Kruse was elected to his first term in November 2010. He serves Brooklyn Park, Champlin and Coon Rapids. Senator Kruse can be reached at: 651-296-4154 (office) or sen.benjamin.kruse@senate.mn.
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