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State Representative Matt Dean
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3018
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS COLUMN
GOVERNOR’S BUDGET KICKS OFF BUDGET DEBATE
Governor Pawlenty unveiled his 2006-07 budget proposal last week. True to his word, he proposed no new state taxes and no state tax increases. The governor's budget is the traditional kick-off to the biennial budget process and lays his vision for where our state should go.
The governor proposes to increase K-12 education funding by $369 million over the next to years. But improving our schools should be about more than sending them a bigger check; we need to make sure we are getting the results our students deserve. One way we can do this is by using a performance pay scale for teachers that ties their raises to their student's achievement. The governor even proposes awarding extra funds to school districts that use performance pay for their teachers. The current pay system rewards teachers solely on seniority.
That's not necessarily bad - we should reward people who spend their careers educating - but if students could benefit from a performance pay system then we owe it to them to give it a try.
The two biggest public safety issues we face are dealing with sex offenders and stopping the spread of methamphetamine. The governor addresses both by investing in new resources for sex offender treatment including supervised housing options and enhanced monitoring of released convicts. To fight meth, the governor plans to increase provide funding for 10 narcotics agents to work in communities to work with local law enforcement. His plan is in addition to bills introduced in the House to fight meth by limiting the sale of ingredients and increasing penalties for convicted meth users.
The most controversial aspect of the governor's budget will be the so-called "health care cuts" he proposes. The governor proposes ending medical welfare for adults without children, but maintains the safety net available for those who truly need it. We all recognize that families and hard working individuals need relief from increases in premiums, co-pays and reduced benefits.
Those who have never had to pay a dime into the system should do so if they can and utilize services legally and appropriately.
The governor's plan keeps our core public health functions in tact. It focuses mental health improvements on children and increases efforts for Indian Child Welfare and teens aging out of foster care. It also takes steps to implement federal reforms such as the Medicare prescription drug benefit and health savings accounts, which empower consumers with their own health care decisions.
For the record, Governor Pawlenty's budget increases government health care spending by $656 million, or 15 percent. Over two years, that equates to $7.9 billion spent on nursing homes, health care for the poor and services for the disabled, among other things. By the time we add in federal money spent on government health care in Minnesota, you're looking at an $18 billion health care budget. For comparison, that is roughly equal to the 1996-97 budget for all of state government.
There has been a lot of talk over the past two years about budget cuts and how they've affected our quality of life. Yes, difficult situations forced legislators to make difficult decisions. Truth be told, there are some things we'll just never be able to spend enough money on, such as education. But to spend more time arguing over the past wastes time that could be spent laying out our future.
The governor's budget proposal is a starting point for that debate. The legislature will spend the next four months making the proposal fair, accountable and workable. During that time, I want to hear from you. Where do you think we should concentrate our focus? Send me an email at rep.matt.dean@house.mn or call my office at 651-296-3018. I am here to represent you and your input helps me do that as the budget debate unfolds.
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News Items
- DEAN SWORN IN FOR FIFTH TERM - (Posted: Jan 8 2013 3:00PM)
- STATE REPRESENTATIVE MATT DEAN SELECTED AS 2010 HENRY TOLL FELLOW - (Posted: 2010-05-26 00:00:00)
- State Rep. Dean Reacts to St. Croix Bridge Decision - (Posted: 2010-03-15 00:00:00)
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