Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Reintroduces Bill to Help Schools Overcome Teacher Shortages in Minnesota, Across the Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.21.23] – This week, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Education Committee—reintroduced legislation to help schools and districts in Minnesota and across the country facing teacher shortages. Ahead of the 2022- 2023 academic year, 78 percent of schools nationwide found it difficult to find qualified teachers for special education and science, according to surveys of school leaders. There is an urgent need for STEM, career and technical education, and special education teachers. Additionally, there is a severe lack of racial diversity—nationwide teachers of color comprise only 18 percent of the teacher workforce. “I hear from Minnesota school superintendents every summer about the many vacancies they’re struggling to fill, an issue that has only gotten harder in the past few years and is even more challenging in small, rural school districts,” said Sen. Smith. “And it’s especially difficult to hire teachers in key subjects like STEM, technical education and special education. Ultimately, these shortages hurt our kids and diminish their opportunities. My bill will help schools overcome these challenges and help ensure students get the best education possible.” Sen. Smith’s bill—the Addressing Teacher Shortages Act—would provide grants to school districts to help them attract and retain the quality teachers they need. The bill would also fund U.S. Department of Education efforts to help smaller and under-resourced districts apply for grants. Funding under the grant program could be used to establish or expand: The grant funding would be distributed competitively with at least 25 percent going to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Housing, Health Care and Self-Governance in Native Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. [7.20.23] – This week, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), announced three pieces of her bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing key issues in Native communities passed the Senate. The bills would improve health care for urban Indigenous communities, strengthen self-governance agreements, and help increase homeownership in Native communities. All three pieces of legislation will now move to the House of Representatives for a vote. “Whenever I meet with Native leaders, three of the top issues I hear about are inadequate housing and health care and the importance of self-governance,” said Smith. “I worked with my Republican colleagues to introduce these pieces of legislation to take on these challenges and address the needs of Tribes in Minnesota and around the country. These bills would create easier pathways for homeownership in Native communities, improve the Indian Health System, and bolster self-governance agreements. I’m thrilled to see them pass the Senate and get one step closer to becoming law.” Senator Smith’s bills include:
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Continues Fight to Strengthen Workers’ Rights and Wages
WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/3/20]— U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped introduce a bill to prohibit states from passing “right-to-work” laws that make it harder for workers to form unions, fight for higher wages and push for better working conditions. Right now, under “right-to-work” laws, some members are not paying dues despite the fact that they benefit from a union. This is draining key resources used by unions to fight for workers’ rights. “I believe that workers have a fundamental right to join together for fair wages, benefits and improved working conditions,” said Sen. Smith. “But right now, so-called ‘right-to-work’ laws are undermining workers’ ability to join together to fight for better pay and working conditions. It’s time
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Duluth Mayor Emily Larson as State of the Union Guest
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/30/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said that Duluth Mayor Emily Larson will be her guest at the President’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, February 4 in Washington, D.C. Sen. Smith made her first stop in Minnesota as Senator in Duluth, alongside Duluth Mayor Larson. Since then, Sen. Smith and Mayor Larson have worked together on many issues, including the need to support and create affordable housing. The two understand that as new jobs are created, the people who fill them need an affordable place to live. Duluth—like many communities across the state—is taking steps to address this.
Klobuchar, Smith, Murray, Democrats Press Health Department for Updates on Novel Coronavirus, Call for Continuing Robust, Scientifically-Driven Response
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and 29 Democratic senators in sending a letter to Secretary Alex Azar at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requesting updates on the Administration’s response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak and information on the steps being taken to keep Americans safe. In the letter, the senators asked the Department to keep them updated with the latest information regarding the severity of the disease, the country’s capacity to diagnose cases,
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Join Bipartisan Push to Target Additional Funding for Lewis & Clark Water Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. [01/28/20]— U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped push a top Trump Administration official to target some of the millions of dollars in additional funding for the nation’s rural water projects—approved by Congress in December—to the Lewis & Clark Rural Water System, which serves communities across southwestern Minnesota that currently don’t have a reliable source of clean water. Supporting this water system is vital for bolstering job creation and economic development. The senators called on U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt—as part of a bipartisan group of 10 House and Senate lawmakers who represent Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa, the three states served by the Lewis & Clark project—to ensure an adequate part of
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