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State Representative Michael Beard
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8872
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS COLUMN
BEARD: LET'S LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS
Hello again!
All session I've been discussing the need for our government to live within its means and spend your tax dollars wisely. This is important in 2007 because we will set the course of state spending for the next two years. Last week, I joined my colleagues in the House Republican Caucus to propose a budget that I believe addresses our state's most important needs while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Here is how our budget stacks up to current spending: $13.745 billion for K-12 education (a $985 million increase); $70 million in benefits for military veterans and their families (a $24 million increase); $2.87 billion for higher education (a $110 million increase); $1.78 billion for public safety (a $68 million increase). We also proposed $300 million in tax cuts and a $148 million increase in property tax relief. Our proposal makes major reforms in the health care system that allow us to save millions of dollars and increase funding for vital state programs for those who truly need them.
Overall, our budget proposal would grow government spending by a reasonable 4 percent, which is in-line with inflation and what the majority of Minnesotans can afford. Most importantly, our budget does not increase the tax burden. With a $2 billion budget surplus, no tax increase is necessary.
By now, you should be receiving my 2007 legislative survey in your mailbox, inserted in the fold of your local paper. I would appreciate your thoughts and input, and I encourage you to take the time to fill out the survey (there is space for two voters) and mail it back to me. Later this spring, I will tabulate all the answers from survey responses and announce the results.
News Items
- 2013 Legislative Survey Results - (Posted: May 14 2013 9:07AM)
- State Budget Round Two: Increased taxes, spending on the horizon - (Posted: May 3 2013 10:27AM)
- Tax increases unnecessary with positive budget news - (Posted: Mar 11 2013 12:00AM)
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