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State Representative Patti Fritz
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8237
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
FINAL DAYS OF SESSION PRESENT CHALLENGES
As we approach the closing days of the 2005 Legislative session, the challenge of getting the job done on time is before us. As dictated by the Constitution, we are required to finish our work by May 23 or call a special session. I believe that everyone here is committed to completing our work on time, however, there are significant challenges remaining. Working together and compromise will be the key ingredients to reaching agreement on the many big issues to be decided in these final days.
The House of Representatives and the Senate have passed most of their major spending bills in the past two weeks. Now Governor Tim Pawlenty, the House, and the Senate must determine the basic game plan for ironing out the differences between their three positions.
And that will be difficult. The budget is the Legislature’s #1 priority this year, and there are still wide divisions.
The Governor wants a gambling proposal to bring $200 million into the budget. The Senate has said that they will not support a gambling proposal. The Senate wants to increase the income tax on families making over a quarter of a million dollars to pay for health care and education. The Governor has said he will veto any increase in income or sales taxes.
The House recently passed a transportation bill, with a gas tax included, as a means to fund badly needed transportation projects. The Governor has said that he will veto this plan; it is unclear how these projects will get done without it. Some want a cigarette tax to pay for health care needs; some do not.
In education, the House has a funding plan to increase per pupil spending by 3% in each of the next two years, while the Senate’s plan increases funding by 5% next year and 4% the year after that. The House also has property tax increases in their education bill; and the Senate does not.
Then add a new Twins stadium proposal to the mix, and you have lots of important decisions to be made by May 23.
The bottom line is that we need to compromise and get our work done on time. Voters back in November were very clear. They voted 14 incumbents out of office - a very high number - and told us to work together and get the job done. It’s a message that the Governor and Legislature need to take very seriously.
As in the past, I will be looking at each bill and each area of the budget for how it impacts the residents of District 26B and rural Minnesota. What matters is how it benefits our local schools and communities, not which political party is proposing the plan. I will weigh the pros and cons of each bill as to the overall impact on our area. As a Legislature, we need to move forward, work together, and get the job done in the best interests of rural Minnesota and the entire state.
Please contact me with any comments or ideas you have as we head into the final days of the session. I can be contacted at (651) 296-8237 or 1-800-292-0012 or e-mailed at: rep.patti.fritz@house.mn. My mailing address is: 239 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155.
News Items
- STATE REP. PATTI FRITZ PARTICIPATES IN START OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 3:32PM)
- Rep. Fritz: Homeowners, Farmers Need Property Tax Relief - (Posted: 2012-05-01 00:00:00)
- Rep. Fritz: Let’s Vote on a Bonding Bill that Benefits All - (Posted: 2012-04-19 00:00:00)
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