A correction and an apology

Yesterday I posted a report that Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) left an E-12 Budget Division committee hearing in the Senate to avoid a difficult vote on Senate File 276, which would establish a mandatory statewide health insurance pool for all public school district employees. I based this report on a number of sources from whom I occasionally receive information relating to legislation on ed policy and finance.

This report was in error. SF 276 has never appeared before the Senate E-12 Budget Division, so there was obviously never such a vote. In fact, when an amendment allowing individual school districts to opt-out of the plan was offered on the floor of the Senate by Sen. Betsy Wergin (R-Princeton), Sen. Bonoff joined the Republicans to support it (the amendment was defeated roughly along party lines). The bill was passed by the Senate with a similar margin, and again Sen. Bonoff voted with the Republicans against it. (The companion bill did appear before the House E-12 Education Committee.)

I apologized to Sen. Bonoff for the error by phone last night, and I apologize to her and you, my readers, today. To avoid further confusion, I have removed yesterday's post from the blog.

In the future, I will try my best to provide the political observations and commentary you have come to expect at North Star Liberty, specifically: well-written, biased yet factual, passionate yet not hyperventilated, aggressive at times yet always ethical. After all, it's political, not personal.

Matt Abe
North Star Liberty blog