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State Representative Paul Marquart
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-6829
For more information contact: Ben Schweigert 651-296-5809
Column/LTE
GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER IN FINAL DAYS
The 2005 Minnesota Legislative session is coming down to the finish line. The Minnesota Constitution requires that we finish our work by May 23 or go into a special session. Working together and compromise will be the key ingredients to reaching agreement on the many big issues to be decided in these final days.
The House of Representatives and the Senate have passed most of their major spending bills in the past two weeks. Now Governor Tim Pawlenty, the House, and the Senate must determine the basic game plan for ironing out the differences between their three positions.
And that will be difficult. The budget is the Legislature’s #1 priority this year, and there are still wide divisions.
The Governor wants a gambling proposal to bring $200 million into the budget. The Senate has said that they will not support a gambling proposal. The Senate wants to increase the income tax on families making over a quarter of a million dollars to pay for health care and education. The Governor has said he will veto any increase in income or sales taxes.
There are also proposals to raise the gas tax a nickel to raise $160 million for transportation projects. The Governor has said that he will not sign a gas tax increase unless it’s approved by the people as a Constitutional amendment in 2006. Some want a cigarette tax to pay for health care needs; some do not.
In education, the House has a funding plan to increase per pupil spending by 3% in each of the next two years, while the Senate’s plan increases funding by 5% next year and 4% the year after that. The House also has property tax increases in their education bill; and the Senate does not.
Then add a new Twins stadium proposal to the mix, and you have lots of important decisions to be made by May 23.
The bottom line is that we need to compromise and get our work done on time. Voters back in November were very clear. They voted 14 incumbents out of office - a very high number - and told us to work together and get the job done. It’s a message that the Governor and Legislature need to take very seriously.
As in the past, I will be looking at each bill and each area of the budget for how it impacts the residents of District 9B and rural Minnesota. What matters is how it benefits our local schools and communities, not which political party is proposing the plan. I will weigh the pros and cons of each bill as to the overall impact on our area. As a Legislature, we need to move forward, work together, and get the job done in the best interests of rural Minnesota and the entire state.
Please contact me with any comments or ideas you have as we head into the final days of the session. I can be contacted at 1-800-551-5520 or e-mailed at: rep.paul.marquart@house.mn My mailing address is: 345 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155.
Thank you and enjoy the spring season!
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