Senate hears proposal for grants to develop cultural and ethnic studies materials

Senator (first name not provided in transcript) Pah presented Senate File 19 65 proposing competitive grants to develop high‑quality cultural and ethnic studies materials for communities underrepresented in existing curricula, including Hmong, Korean, Somali and Oromo cultures and others with predominantly oral traditions.

The bill, Pah said, seeks resources for classroom and higher‑education materials to help students see themselves reflected in curricula and to improve cross‑cultural understanding. Testifiers included B. Vangmoa, a Hmong language educator, who emphasized the urgency of language preservation and the scarcity of formal instructional materials; and Kevin Lindsey, CEO of the Minnesota Humanities Center, who said nearly 90 organizations requested information about potential grants during outreach and that demand could exceed available funds.

Lindsey told senators the grant line is likely to attract 30–45 applications and that requests could conservatively total $3 million or more. Committee discussion addressed whether the bill should specify appropriation levels; the sponsor said the blank appropriation slots in the draft were left to allow the committee and chairs to provide input on funding levels. Senator Pah said the bill builds on prior successful work and co‑authors included Chair Hur and Senator Cooney.

The A‑1 author’s amendment from Senator Lang, which changes a reference from the Commissioner of Administration to the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Humanities Center for administrative purposes, was accepted by voice vote and the committee laid the amended bill over for possible inclusion in the omnibus legacy bill.