Gov. Mark Dayton on Friday said he was open to considering a teacher seniority bill proposed by a DFL senator but expressed disappointment with Senate Minority Leader David Hann for sharing details of a conversation the two had on the issue.
Dayton 'open' to Bonoff teacher seniority bill, miffed with Senate GOP leader Hann
Gov. Mark Dayton expressed disappointment with Senate Minority Leader David Hann Friday over a private conversation on a teacher seniority bill.
"First of all, I said anything we discussed at the residence is supposed to stay at the residence, so I can't trust Senator Hann and other leaders on both sides of the aisle to keep to that promise and we'll have to modify our future conversations, but I said to him that I was open to considering it, I didn't say I supported it," Dayton told reporters after an event in Brooklyn Park.
The conversation was over legislation proposed by Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, who broke with her party by introducing a bill Thursday that would end so-called "last in, first out" practices in teacher layoffs. House Republicans have introduced similar legislation and Bonoff has secured the support of two other Republican senators who signed on as cosponsors of her bill.
"Clearly this is going to be a subject for legislative review and initiative, so I'm open to considering it, but I'm not advocating for it, per se," Dayton said.
A spokeswoman for Hann declined to comment on Dayton's remarks.
When Republicans last controlled the Legislature in 2012 they pushed through a measure that would have eliminated last-in, first-out practices, arguing that they hurt student achievement. Dayton vetoed the bill — which Bonoff supported — saying it was vague and premature in the absence of a well-developed, objective evaluation system.
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