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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
PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS UNNECESSARY AND WASTEFUL
As I sat on the House floor last week watching the clock move towards a partial government shut-down, I felt what I guess most Minnesotans were feeling at the time – a mixture of frustration and dismay.
I was frustrated because it was unnecessary. Despite the logjam in negotiations over the state budget, there were a number of simple steps we could have taken to prevent the partial shutdown, the most obvious of which was a simple lights-on bill that would have provided enough funding to allow government offices to stay open and state workers on the job for an additional week or two to allow the Governor and legislative leaders to agree on a budget.
In our district, we are fortunate to have services such as the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. They serve about 11,000 people and receive an estimated 100 phone calls a day from patrons requesting books on cassette, in large print or in Braille. For many of the people, these books are a lifesaver. Since the government shutdown went into effect, the library can no longer provide these services.
This is one of the reasons we have to end this shut-down. For five days in a row, House Democrats voted together to pass the Senate lights-on bill that would have avoided this shut-down; the House Republicans, with a two seat majority, stopped the bill from passing each time.
Since the inception of our state and its legislature, there has never been a state government shutdown. Never. And even with the passage of the Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources and Jobs and Economic Development bill, there will be thousands of Minnesotans impacted by the closure of many of our state government agencies due to the unwillingness of House leadership to pass a lights-on bill to temporarily fund state government as the final budget compromise is negotiated.
I'm sure there are many readers who wonder what other areas are affected by the shutdown. Court rulings and recommendations of the appointed "special master" will see that our residential and outpatient facilities for our elderly, our veterans, and our developmentally disabled will continue. Essential for public safety, our State Patrol officers will be hard at work on our highways and there will be enforcement of boating laws on our lakes and rivers. Current highway construction projects will continue uninterrupted.
But without the lights-on bill, our highway rest stops will be locked, working folks seeking to enroll in the state health care plan will be unable to do so, and over 9,000 dedicated state employees will receive pink slips.
I remain committed to finding a compromise to the budget impasse. There are hundreds of people depending on us, their state leaders, to reach a fair and balanced agreement that adequately funds our kids' education and health care.
I remain hopeful that such an agreement is close at hand. However, it's a shame Minnesota government will have to shut down for the first time in history in order to reach it.
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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