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State Representative Debra Hilstrom
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3709
For more information contact: Charlene Briner 651-296-5809
Column/LTE
HOUSE EDUCATION AND PROPERTY TAXES REFORM BILL REFLECT PRIORITIES
To the Editor:
This week the House of Representatives delivered on a long-standing commitment to make education a top priority when they unveiled their plan for funding Minnesota's public schools.
Citizens across Minnesota made it very clear that education should top our list of concerns, and the education bill reflects a serious commitment to producing world-class students and nation leading schools.
Most of the $919 million package goes towards an increase in base funding for 2008 and 2009. It also provides for voluntary all-day Kindergarten, reduces the gap in unmet special education costs that have eaten into school's general funds and provides $152 million for a combination of technology upgrades, innovation and reform proposals, gifted and talented programs and funding for school libraries.
On the same day, the House also introduced a bill to provide significant and lasting property tax reform and relief, fulfilling another promise made to voters last November. The proposal provides $543 million in significant and permanent relief for Minnesota homeowners and increases the fairness of the state's tax system. Property taxes were never meant to be a primary source of funding our schools, nor our cities and counties.
Our goals in the Minnesota House as we began the session were clear. We wanted to provide enough basic funding to give every child in Minnesota access to an excellent education, help narrow the achievement gap in Minnesota, and take some of the sting out of the property tax burden that has carried the weight of unpredictable state funding for schools, cities and counties. While there is still a way to go in order for these bills to become law, their passage would deliver on each of those goals, and go well beyond.
Sincerely,
Debra Hilstrom
State Representative
District 46B
News Items
- ATTORNEY GENERAL LORI SWANSON, COUNTY ATTORNEY TONY PALUMBO AND JUDICIARY CHAIRS DEBRA HILSTROM AND RON LATZ ANNOUNCE GUARDIAN LEGISLATION - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 11:33AM)
- ATTORNEY GENERAL SWANSON, COMMERCE COMMISSIONER ROTHMAN, REPRESENTATIVE HILSTROM, AND SENATOR SIEBEN ANNOUNCE BILL TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM FRAUDULENT GOLD COIN DEALERS - (Posted: Jan 4 2013 11:43AM)
- ATTORNEY GENERAL LORI SWANSON, COUNTY ATTORNEY TONY PALUMBO AND JUDICIARY CHAIRS DEBRA HILSTROM AND RON LATZ ANNOUNCE GUARDIAN LEGISLATION - (Posted: 2012-11-30 00:00:00)
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