ST. PAUL, MN - Governor Mark Dayton held a
news conference yesterday regarding the need for legislation funding universal half-day pre-Kindergarten this session.
COMMITMENT TO VETO
"I will veto. I repeat again, I will veto a $400 million bill that leaves a billion dollars on the bottom line while denying $171 million for universal pre-K for four year olds - I mean it is just not acceptable. It's not acceptable to the people of Minnesota and to the four year olds that depend on this."
AUDIOVIDEOHERE TO WIN FOR MINNESOTA
"I'm doing what I believe is the best for Minnesota. Again, this is not about who gets wins and losses - and gets their number one priority or anything else. This is about what's right for Minnesota. This is what's best for people who have got to drink the water. Right now, it's declining in quality all over the state as both the Department of Health and Pollution Control Agency have documented in the last couple weeks.
"This is about four-year-olds and their parents and giving them a better chance in life. And giving kids from disadvantaged backgrounds a chance in life. That's what I'm fighting for. I'm fighting for the kids of Minnesota. I'm fighting for the parents of Minnesota. I'm fighting for the parents of those kids. I'm fighting for the people who need to drink quality water and think they are but will be horribly shocked that they're not. That's what I'm fighting for.
"My wins and losses are not important to me anymore. Doing what's right for Minnesota is what's important to me. I'm not running again. I'm not here to win or lose political points for myself. I'm here to win for people of Minnesota."
AUDIO
VIDEOSPECIAL SESSION
"I left a clear avenue toward ending this session on time. I left a clear avenue, if we go past next Monday to coming back and avoiding all of that. I made a very clear avenue - $171 million for my number one priority as I've stated for the last several months.
"I said universal all-day pre-K, I've come down to half day. Not because it's necessary for me, it's necessary for the children of Minnesota. I regret those consequences, but regret just as much the consequences of leaving 40,000 four-year-olds without pre-K starting a year from September.
"If we go into those disaster modes, it's the fault of Republicans in the Minnesota House of Representatives, entirely. It's entirely their fault."
AUDIOVIDEOCLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
"You know we haven't had a chance to ask the people of Minnesota, but we'll have a chance to in the next few weeks and months, if they want to pull this stunt. And if they do, I think they're going to find out overwhelmingly from parents that they want their kids and other people's kids to have a better chance. To come out of this better, to do better, to close the achievement gap.
"I mean, that's another piece of this. They say they want to close the achievement gap, the House Republicans? They should not dare say that again, when they have an opportunity here. And whether it should be scholarships, or school readiness, or universal pre-k. All of the above, I say. All of the above.
"And that focus on age 0-4, all the experts I've heard from and read say that is crucial. It's the best strategy we know of to close the achievement gap. And so they've got $30 million for school readiness, $30 million for scholarships, which will reach a small fraction of the kids who don't have access to those, or anything else, as four year olds. So they're going to turn their backs on those who could benefit from this, and a real chance to close the achievement gap. The House Republicans shouldn't have the right to say one more word about the achievement gap."
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VIDEO
