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State Representative Paul Thissen
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5375
For more information contact: Carrie Lucking 651-296-4169
Press/News Releases
REFORMS ARE DEFORMED BY SLASH-AND-BURN BUDGETING Statement from Minority Leader Thissen on House Environment and Natural Resources Bill
Where are the Republican priorities?
While everyone understands the need to tighten the budget belt in these difficult times, we shouldn’t let the belt become a noose. We need to make smart choices, fund our priorities, and balance the budget.
Minnesotans care deeply about our outdoor heritage. My family, like thousands of Minnesota families has built traditions around outdoor treasures. That’s why we voted in favor of the Legacy Amendment, it’s why Minnesota State Parks have hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and it’s why hunters and anglers travel to Minnesota from other states. Clearly, Minnesotans value our land and water as a priority.
With this bill we will reject our commitment to that Minnesota tradition, not only threatening the air we breathe and the water we drink, but also placing our economy at risk. This budget tells Minnesota families that Legislative Republicans no longer care about their family traditions. 14-26 State Parks will be closed. Republicans did not tell Minnesotans this was your plan on the campaign trail.
Minnesotans should know that in this bill we see yet another round of middle class job cuts and threaten our tourism industry. And in this bill, Rep. Fabian, we see the undoing of the progress made on speeding up the permitting process. The reforms we just made will be deformed by slash-and-burn budgeting.
Republicans are threatening our health with this bill. This bill fundamentally threatens our ability to ensure that the water we drink won’t make us sick. Total elimination of the Clean Water Partnership Fund – a county-by-county effort to make sure drinking water is safe. Total elimination of county-level pollution control workers.
And if drinking the water doesn’t make Minnesotans sick, Republicans continue the strategy of stealing 1-time money from dedicated funds. Not only do Republicans siphon funds from the Department of Commerce, but they also find a way to divert constitutionally dedicated Legacy funds to back-fill draconian cuts. These are hidden middle class taxes and there’s even the potential for back door county property tax increases in this bill.
Do we need to make tough choices? Yes. But Minnesotans also want us to make smart choices. Gumming up a permitting process that we just streamlined makes no sense. Threatening Minnesota’s tourist economy makes no sense. Undrinkable water and unbreathable air make no sense. Closing State Parks is not what you were elected to do.
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State Representative Paul Thissen is the Minnesota House Minority Leader. He represents Richfield and part of Minneapolis in the state legislature.
News Items
- DFL Leaders Eager to Confront Minnesota’s Challenges with Focus on Economy and Middle Class - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 2:21PM)
- State Representative John Persell appointed Majority Whip - (Posted: Dec 21 2012 1:11PM)
- Speaker-designate Thissen to Establish Select Committee on Living Wage Jobs - (Posted: 2012-12-19 00:00:00)
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