Photo: Dierdre Conde, Flickr

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto of an anti-bullying bill on Saturday came as a shock to supporters of the measure who said they had negotiated with the governor’s office to meet his concerns about the legislation.

The bill, which would have directed school districts to provide teachers, staff and administration with training on how to address bullying, passed both the House and Senate with large bipartisan margins and had the backing of a broad coalition of community organizations.

The Safe Schools for All coalition said in a press release Tuesday that they had gotten “word from his staff that the final version had met every request and requirement the Governor had made.”

“By rescinding his compromise and vetoing this widely supported bill, the Governor said he cares more about his political reputation than the safety and education of tens of thousands of Minnesota students he purports to represent,” said Stephanie Hazen of the Family Equality Council.

Pawlenty said the bill was unnecessary because Minnesota has already enacted anti-bullying legislation. He said the bill “duplicates current law relating to school board policies prohibiting bullying, intimidation, violence and pattern of harassment in schools.” He pointed out that Minnesota law already prohibits sexual, religious and racial bullying.

Despite Pawlenty’s assertion, the bill was different from existing statutes because it contained 14 student characteristics to be included in anti-bullying training — a point made clear by religious right opposition to the bill that was based solely on their inclusion.

The Minnesota Family Council, in an email to supporters, said that the bill “gives preferential treatment and status to homosexuals, bisexuals, cross dressers, transvestites and transsexuals – persons who have sex change operations – by singling out sexual orientation and gender identity or expression for special protection. Homosexual activists will use it as ‘leverage’ to promote acceptance and normalization of homosexuality, homosexual marriage and unhealthy sexual behaviors.”

It was the inclusion of “sexual orientation and gender identity” that formed the basis of the Family Council’s opposition to the bill, which is not already part of Minnesota statute.

Currently, every school board must develop anti-bullying programs, but schools do not have to include sexual orientation or gender identity as part of the discussion. The bill would have beefed up existing law, not necessarily duplicate it.

The veto came as a disappointment to many. Steve Larson, public policy director for the Arc of Minnesota, an organization that advocates for those with developmental disabilities, said the group was “very disappointed” that Pawlenty vetoed the measure. Students with disabilities were one of the 14 characteristics included in the bill.

“As a result [of the veto] there will not be the specific training on harassment and bullying of individuals with disabilities and we think this will put individuals at increased risk,” he said. “Minnesota has lost an opportunity to improve the school environment for all students. Students with disabilities are susceptible to bullying and harassment, and we were hoping to strengthen all schools’ ability to address these issues.”

Many anti-bullying advocates say they will continue to work with school districts to implement the spirit of the bill. “We will now encourage school districts to implement the intent of the bill on their own,” Larson said. “We hope that something good will come from this despite the fact that the governor vetoed the bill.”

OutFront Minnesota also expressed disappointment. “The Safe Schools for All bill is smart public policy, supported by Democrats and Republicans alike, as well as a diverse coalition of people representing disability, immigrant, education, religious and child welfare concerns,” said Monica Meyer, public policy director for OutFront. “It’s a sad day for Minnesota. Once again, Governor Pawlenty has put his own political interests ahead of the needs of everyday Minnesotans.”

State Capitol (Wikipedia)

The Safe Schools for All bill passed the Minnesota House on Monday and is heading to the desk of Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The bill would add 14 characteristics to existing anti-bullying policies and directs schools to beef up their anti-bullying programs. The bill passed by a vote of 95 to 39. It’s unclear whether Gov. Pawlenty will sign or veto the bill, but if the bill can retain the support of eight members in the House, a veto would likely be over-ridden.

The bill passed but not without intense debate. Rep. Jim Davnie, DFL-Minneapolis, carried the bill this session. “The politics are challenging; the stories from students and families have often been hard to hear,” he said. “What we know is that if you want an effective policy it needs to be clear, and that’s what SF971 will do.”

The main concern from some Republican legislators is that the bill spells out specific groups such as gay and lesbian students, students with disabilities and children from different socioeconomic strata.

Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, offered an amendment to strike those categories from the bill. “One group does not rise above another,” he said. The amendment failed on a voice vote.

Davnie argued for the importance of the categories. “[Students] need and deserve to see themselves reflected in school policies. The child hears, ‘if somebody is bothering me, the adults in the school will help me,’” he said.

Rep. Rob Eastlund, R-Isanti, said, “there’s a politically motivated effort because passing legislation feels good. We don’t need to list out a long list of special interest groups.”

Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, gave a passionate speech about being bullied in school because of his disability.

“People that get bullied are often the people who look or act different. I remember being on the playground and continually being teased or picked on because of how I looked,” said Ward. “All children deserve to be treated fairly and equitably and with respect. When you talk about special groups being named… Anything we can do to move in that direction is progress.”