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State Representative John Lesch
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4224
For more information contact: Christina Gosack 651-296-5524
Column/LTE
SUCCESS OF 2005 SESSION IS IN THE DETAILS
On the long and windy road to the end of the 2005 Legislative Session, at some point the ability of legislators to communicate the substance of our work here at the Capitol was lost in the headlines of special session and government shutdown. I would like to tell the story of two bills that passed this session and what they'll mean for Saint Paul.
The first is a bill I myself sponsored. In 2003, Ben Doran, a 15-year-old sophomore at Como High School, was beaten to death by two gang members. Ben's death was a case of mistaken identity. He was incorrectly identified as being involved in a dispute with a gang member's acquaintance. Ben was severely beaten and survived four days on life support.
The two gang-members responsible for Ben's death were sentenced to 30 years in prison, although they may serve only 20 years. "Benny's Law" takes the law a step further in preventing the early release of any member of a gang who is convicted of a crime against a child. No longer will gang members who commit vicious crimes against kids be released before serving their full sentence.
The story of the second bill began in the 2003 session, when a $4.1 billion deficit combined with the Governor's "no new taxes" pledge prompted slash and burn cuts to local government aid (LGA). Saint Paul alone lost $19.6 million, which came out of the budget of city services like libraries and public safety.
This year, thanks to the persistence of DFL leadership during budget negotiations, in 2006 Saint Paul will get back $7.5 million of what was cut. This money will not only take pressure off the property tax base, it will allow us to invest in public safety upgrades and the city services like parks that rely on LGA funding.
So, despite the partisan gridlock that temporarily stalled budget negotiations, this was not a do-nothing session like 2004. I hope the headlines of the protracted budget impasse don't overshadow the good work that was accomplished this year at the Capitol.
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)
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