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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
LET’S NOT OVERLOOK THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
By Mike Beard
District 35A, State Representative
I'm afraid that the 2005 session will only be remembered as the one that spawned the first partial shutdown in state history. No one likes this distinction, but it is ours to bear. It would be unfortunate if that overshadowed all the other good work we did in the time that we spent in St. Paul.
First and foremost, we balanced a budget with a $466 million hole in it. We assembled a rather fair and balanced budget that funds our top priorities including schools, public safety and many other programs without digging deeper into your paycheck through sales or income tax increases. We did, admittedly, raise revenue from tobacco products so we could reach a compromise with the Senate on their demands for increased government sponsored healthcare spending. We funded K-12 at near-record levels, providing $800 million in new spending over the next two years. Parents in Shakopee will see a $232 per-pupil increase, and parents in Prior Lake will see $230. This year's funding reforms are as important as the new money. Parents in our area can know that teacher pay reforms and new initiatives such as "Get Ready, Get Credit" and value-added assessment programs will help ensure their children are getting the best education we can offer.
Our public safety bill directly impacts our communities in two ways. First, it cracks down on all sex offenders, including the "worst of the worst" who will now go to prison for life. It also contains some of the strongest and most comprehensive anti-meth measures ever passed by any state. We made it tougher to get meth's key ingredients and strengthened penalties for making and using the drug, especially when done near children.
When parents fill out their tax forms next year, they might notice a change that removed the $2,000 per-family cap on claiming the education tax credit. Our attempts to eliminate the marriage penalty tax were unsuccessful in negotiations with the Senate, but we will attempt again next year to eliminate this penalty that causes 500,000 married couples in Minnesota to pay higher taxes than they should. We are also trying to fix the predicament we are in with the Alternative Minimum Tax as it affects more and more middle class taxpayers.
But, what most people will notice about this session has nothing to do with new spending or a new government program. They will notice continued strong job growth that results from businesses being able to expand because we held the line against punitive taxes against those folks who create jobs. We will continue to do so in future sessions.
I would like to thank everyone who contacted me this year with their thoughts. I appreciate hearing from all of you. Please don't hesitate to contact me again as we approach 2006. Thank you.
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- State Budget Round Two: Increased taxes, spending on the horizon - (Posted: May 3 2013 10:27AM)
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