A bill offered by Republican Sens. Dave Thompson of Lakeville, David Hann of Eden Prairie, Roger Chamberlain of Lino Lakes, and Nienow of Cambridge would exempt a large number of school districts from the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act, a comprehensive and LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying bill passed in 2014. The bill is identical to one offered in the Minnesota House last week.

Senate File 221 would change the 2014 anti-bullying act by exempting school districts from the law if they already have an existing anti-bullying policy. The only criteria is that the policy must protect all students. Here’s the language:

(c) This section does not apply to a home school under sections 120A.22,
1.22subdivision 4, and 120A.24, or a nonpublic school under section 123B.41, subdivision 9,
1.23or a public school located in a school district that has adopted a written bullying policy
2.1under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 121A.0695, that protects all students served by
2.2the school district.

The four Republicans that introduced the bill have ties to the anti-LGBT Minnesota Child Protection League which opposes the anti-bullying law passed in 2014 in part because of specific LGBT protections. In fact, MNCPL’s spokesperson Michele Lentz is a former aide to Sen. Nienow.