Accessibility menu
State Representative John Lesch
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4224
For more information contact: Nick Halter 651-297-1934
Press/News Releases
STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN LESCH STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR PAWLENTY'S BUDGET PROPOSAL
Governor Pawlenty presented his plan for balancing the state’s $1.2 billion deficit today. The plan would solve the deficit by cutting $1.2 billion from the budget. It would also include tax cuts for corporations. Funding for areas deemed a priority- military and veterans, K-12 education classrooms, and prisons-would be left untouched but the plan calls for a reduction in many other programs.
The main cuts will occur in the following places:
• $250 million in reductions to state government aids to local units of government
• $347 million in reductions to state health and human services programs
• $47 million in reductions to state higher education institutions
• $181 million in reductions to state agencies and other programs
$1.2 billion total
State Representative John Lesch of St. Paul issued the following statement after the Governor’s press conference:
“With this budget proposal, our Governor has shown that he’s less concerned about Minnesota’s future budget health than he is about his own presidential ambitions. He had an opportunity to present an innovative plan to kick-start our state’s economic recovery. Unfortunately, all his proposal offered was cuts."
“I was particularly disappointed to listen to his idea of reducing $250 million in aid to local governments. This money helps communities provide salaries for our firefighters and policemen. Fiscal responsibility shouldn’t mean gutting public safety.”
“This plan would give corporations tax breaks while cutting public safety and throwing Minnesotans off their health-care by reducing MinnCare. I can’t sign on to a plan that would throw my constituents under the bus.”
-30-
News Items
- Rep. Lesch, Senator John Marty and Revenue Commissioner Frans to talk tax reform with area residents at St. Paul town hall meeting - (Posted: 2012-12-12 00:00:00)
- Rep. Lesch Named Chair of the House Civil Law Committee - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- EARTH DAY A CHANCE FOR REFLECTION, ACTION - (Posted: 2012-04-17 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.