Thirty-five legislators in the Minnesota House of Representatives introduced a bill Thursday proposing a constitutional amendment that would provide for high quality public education through equitable and adequate funding.

If the bill is passed, the proposed amendment would be submitted to voters at the 2009 general election as a question stating, “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide equitable and adequate funding for high quality public schools throughout the state?” Voters will answer with a yes or no answer.

This would amend Article XIII, Section 1, of the Minnesota Constitution.

“In Greater Minnesota, we’ve always been concerned that our students are just as important as anywhere else in Minnesota,” said District 27A Rep. Robin Brown, who co-authored the bill. “I have a strong belief that the funding of education shouldn’t be based on where you live. I just want some equity.”

Brown said the proposed amendment is almost a mirror image of a bill that Rep. Denise Dittrich, DFL-Champlin, presented in 2005. The new bill came about as a result of a discussion she and Dittrich had recently.

Brown said she and Dittrich have served on different committees together, and they know each other well. They often talk about education.

During a recent conversation they talked about how to reform education, specifically about how to bring Minnesota students to a high quality education and how to fund that equitably, she said.

Dittrich, who is in her third term as a representative, told Brown she had a bill about those issues in 2005, and the two representatives decided it “was a good bill and to bring it forward again,” Brown said.

The two women were able to get the bill signed by 35 representatives, which is the maximum number of signatures for House bills.

“If that is a clue at all of the support, it is something we should be really happy with,” Brown said.

A companion bill, Senate File 1003, is also attracting a lot of interest in the Minnesota Senate, she noted.

“It’s great to get the conversation going and hear the support,” Brown said.