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The case for more education spending

Gov. Tim Walz revealed another part of his spending plans for the coming budget season. He knows one thing is true — if you are going to propose billions of dollars in spending, it’s best to propose spending it on schools, education and our kids’ future.

Walz’s spending proposal, which he announced Tuesday, would come to $5.1 billion over three years, and includes expanding access to child care, funding for pre-K for 6,000 children, and $183 million for free meals for kids, according to the Associated Press.

These are issues it is hard to argue with. The need for decent, affordable child care is something every working family faces. Getting more kids into pre-k will help give them a head start in school. And good nutrition is important for kids, in or out of school.

Walz is also proposing a 2% increase in per pupil funding for schools.

Republicans criticized the governor’s spending spree, pointing to the increases in per pupil spending approved in the last session. Republicans tend to criticize school spending that can’t be directly tied to increased results in literacy and competency. Throwing money into education is no guarantee of greater academic success, but shortchanging schools is a sure way to bad results.

Walz’s proposals are being put out there as the Legislature gets ready to open, and what he proposes goes nowhere until the Legislature has its say.

We have a $7.7 billion surplus, and that should allow for some supplemental spending in areas where it can do good, at the same time we work to reform the state’s tax system to keep more money in taxpayers’ pockets.

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