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State Representative Leon Lillie
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-1188
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
NEWS COLUMN
GOVERNOR PAWLENTY'S BUDGET PRIORITIES ARE ENCOURAGING
I am encouraged by the overall priorities outlined in the budget proposal Governor Pawlenty released Monday for the 2008 2009 biennium. The Governor has focused his budget on education, health care, property taxes, and renewable energy. I too am committed to finding lasting solutions for these important issues. We may differ on some of the means to achieve these goals, but we do share the same priorities.
While I am pleased that the Governor has focused on these important issues, I do not agree with every aspect of the Governor's budget. First, I am disappointed in the lack of a long-term plan for the state's growing transportation needs. Traffic across the metro is progressively getting worse and the state is not providing the necessary funding to resolve the problem. The constitutional amendment that passed at the polls in November dedicating motor vehicle sales tax to transportation provides only a fraction of what is needed to meet the needs of roads and transit in Minnesota. I will be working to address the transportation problem by finding fiscally responsible means to establish a long-range transportation plan that will adequately address the need to improve roads and transit.
I am also concerned about how the Governor plans to fund Minnesota schools. Governor Pawlenty's plan calls for 2% increases in state aid in both 2008 and 2009. His plan also offers additional one-time 2% bonuses for schools that meet certain performance standards. However, the 2% funding bonuses are one-time money. This means schools can't count on that money being around in the future.
While I believe it is important to reward academic success, leaving out schools that need serious help from an additional funding increase further expands the achievement gap. Also, a 2% increase fails to cover the rate of inflation and will by default, force schools into further budget cuts. Many Minnesota schools are in tough financial situations already due to previous budget cuts including schools within our own community and therefore dont have the means to meet these standards. While all schools should be held to high standards of quality and performance, they should not face closing their doors because they weren't provided the tools to improve.
Overall I am pleased with the Governor's intentions and hopeful for the future of the state. I remain committed to creating and maintaining a bipartisan legislative environment for the benefit of progress. The Governor's budget and his State of the State address have indicated to me that he has the best interest of Minnesotans at heart. While I disagree with certain aspects of the Governor's budget, I look forward to working with him and the Legislature in the weeks and months ahead to reach consensus on how we can best address the needs of our state.
News Items
- SUPPORTING RESPONSIBLE HOMEOWNERS AND STABILIZING NEIGHBORHOODS - (Posted: 2012-03-01 00:00:00)
- Email Update -- Feb. 16, 2012 - (Posted: 2012-02-16 00:00:00)
- 2012 LEGISLATIVE SESSION PREVIEW - (Posted: 2012-01-26 00:00:00)
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