Sen. Joe Gimse (R-Willmar) proposed moving money from mass transit to school busing. 95 of the 100 million dollars would come from the metro, just 5 million would come from greater Minnesota. Needless to say, it's not going to happen. Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) says the idea will not get a hearing-- so dead on arrival as most suspected.
Nothing divides lawmakers faster than rural versus metro and this idea smacks of that. We've seen party lines crumble over the years as rural lawmakers routinely grapple with members from the metro. Gimse said it was a "setting of priorities" and said many superintendents are excited. The Senator who knocked off former Majority Leader Dean Johnson said it would be fair because metro districts would get the same per-pupil transportation model as the rest of the state. Gimse has been rather quiet (and likeable) for a guy who beat one of the most recognizable lawmakers at the Capitol, but this idea won't get much more attention after today. It was the first news conference he's headlined after being up here a couple of years now.
