House DFL school safety proposal fails committee vote, echoing Republican effort

Two days after House Republicans’ school safety bill failed on a party-line vote, House DFLers’ school safety bill met the same fate in the House Education Finance Committee Thursday.

“What you see in HF4893 is an efficient and effective, layered approach to school safety,” said Rep. Cheryl Youakim (DFL-Hopkins), a committee co-chair and bill sponsor.

Offered as a delete-all amendment, the DFL school safety bill would require:

• school districts and charter schools to implement an anonymous reporting system;
• firearm storage while on school property for those authorized to carry when they are not on-duty or participating in an activity where firearm possession is authorized;
• the School Safety Center to develop an evidence-based school safety plan for use by school districts and charter schools;
• school boards to adopt an evidence-based school safety plan to prevent human-caused safety incidents; and
• student support personnel aid to increase by $4.27 per student to $34.32 per student starting in Fiscal Year 2027.

Despite both bills failing, committee members on both sides of the aisle agree that Minnesota schools should be using anonymous reporting systems and creating school safety plans.

The difference was on whether to mandate these programs, with DFLers seeking requirements and Republicans seeking to provide resources so schools can implement them voluntarily.

“Unlike the bill we heard on Tuesday, HF4893 does not merely suggest a school take these important systems, but requires them to do so,” Youakim said.

“More mandates and less money is not a plan,” countered Rep. Ben Bakeberg (R-Jordan).

Another key difference between the DFL and Republican school safety bills was that while it increased funding for student support personnel aid, the DFL plan doesn’t include funds for nonpublic school safety.

“The biggest difference, I think, from what I presented on Tuesday is it leaves out a lot of kids,” said Rep. Bryan Lawrence (R-Princeton), who sponsors HF3493, as amended.

“We continue to use the same scenarios of Red Lake and Annunciation and yet this bill has no money for Red Lake or Annunciation because it doesn’t go to nonpublic, it doesn’t go to tribal schools,” Rep. Patricia Mueller (R-Austin) said.

A joint letter from the Minnesota School Psychology Association, Minnesota School Social Workers Association, Minnesota School Counselor Association and School Nurse Organization of Minnesota expressed support the bill, citing its proactive response to school safety from increased student support personnel aid.

“We urge the Committee to support the amendment to HF4893 and continue the commitment to ensuring every Minnesota student has access to the professional support they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

[MORE: Read written testimony]

DFLers also highlighted a firearm storage provision as a step towards school safety.

“It’s not feasible for us to harden our schools the way we need to keep our schools safe from weapons of war,” Youakim said.

“Keeping guns out of our schools is paramount to keeping our students safe,” added Rep. Josiah Hill (DFL-Stillwater).

For Rep. Peggy Bennett (R-Albert Lea), the large overlap between the two failed bills is frustrating. “Why can’t we come together on the things we agree upon?”