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State Representative Greg Davids
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9278
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
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REP. DAVIDS: HIGHER TAXES WOULD INCREASE FUNDING FOR WELFARE, NOT NURSING HOMES
ST. PAUL – By a vote of 85-39, the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved finance legislation that will fund Minnesota’s health and human services programs for the next two years. State Representative Greg Davids (R-Preston) opposed the plan because it provides too many increases to welfare and does little for our nursing homes.
“Apparently the House majority wants to raise taxes by $1.5 billion in order to expand welfare benefits,” Davids said. “They don’t want to increase funding for our classrooms or our nursing homes, and they want to cut veterans programs, road safety, and law enforcement. But they are substantially increasing funding to welfare, which I believe is a classic example of having your priorities misplaced.”
Davids finds this especially troubling because Minnesota faces a $6.4 billion budget deficit. Instead of making cuts to welfare and other health assistance programs, the House majority HHS proposal increases health and human services spending by $2.2 billion.
Davids said he supported several measures that would have made the bill better, like increasing funding for struggling rural nursing homes and eliminating taxpayer-funded abortions. But each time, the House majority refused to support the legislation.
“There’s no doubt our rural nursing homes are in desperate need of new funding, and I thought with a $2.2 billion spending increase the majority could have sent some money their way,” Davids said.
A House/Senate conference committee will now meet to create a compromise plan that can be approved by both bodies. Once that occurs, it will be sent to Governor Pawlenty for his signature.
Davids said because both the House and Senate spend much more on health and welfare program than the Governor wants, a veto of the compromise legislation is likely unless drastic changes are made in the conference committee.
News Items
- REP. DAVIDS STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR DAYTON'S VETO OF TAXES BILL - (Posted: 2012-05-04 00:00:00)
- REP. DAVIDS SUPPORTS VOTER IDENTIFICATION AMENDMENT PROPOSAL - (Posted: 2012-04-05 00:00:00)
- REP. DAVIDS’ TAX RELIEF AND JOB CREATION ACT APPROVED BY MINNESOTA HOUSE - (Posted: 2012-03-22 00:00:00)
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