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State Representative Joyce Peppin
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7806
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
NEWS COLUMN
House Moves to Pay Back Minnesota Schools
Dear Neighbors,
In this update:
1. Education Shift Repayment
2. Government Operations and Elections Committee Update
1. Education Shift Repayment
Republican legislators last week introduced a plan to pay back the school shift that was enacted last year and to begin repayment on the $2 billion shift that was instituted by the DFL in 2010.
As you may recall, the state has received optimistic economic news since November. We have been able to completely replenish our budget reserve and cash flow account, and in addition, we have made a considerable dent on the school shift. As it stands, we have $400 million remaining to repay the 2011 shift, and Rep. Pat Garofalo has introduced a proposal to draw on our budget reserve to pay the remaining school shift, thus bringing it down to zero.
What you may not know is that a “school shift” does not mean that we are “taking” or “stealing” from schools or our children. (In fact, we increased education funding by $50 per pupil last year.) Minnesota schools still receive their designated allotments; however their funds are distributed from a bank (instead of the state) at an extremely low interest rate (one half of a percent). Their payments from the state are simply shifted to a later date.
While we recognized borrowing was not the best option, it was a compromise approach to deal with last year’s $5.1 billion deficit. We recognize that this debt needs to be paid, and we can do that by letting the private economy continue to grow, all without raising taxes. This legislative session, we are continuing to focus on long-term government reform and incentives that will allow our businesses to thrive.
2. Government Operations and Elections Committee Update
As Chair of the Government Operations and Elections Committee, I have studied and heard testimony on several of the important reform bills that are passing through the State Capitol.
Last week I presented House File 2589. The bill would require watershed districts in Hennepin County to receive approval from a municipality before acquiring property. This bill is much in line with another I will soon introduce that would require all members of the Three Rivers Park District to be elected. As it stands, the board’s seven commissioners can be either elected or appointed, and two of its current members are appointed. Since this board has taxation authority, it’s really taxation without representation for there to be any unelected members.
We also passed the much-debated Voter ID legislation. House File 2738 would require that voters show a valid photo ID before casting their ballots. Minnesota is one of only two states that allow new voters to be vouched for without having to provide any identification. We are also the only state that allows a single voter to vouch for up to 15 others – or under certain circumstances, unlimited numbers of other voters. Similar legislation was vetoed by the governor last year, and as such, it is being presented as a constitutional amendment that voters would decide upon in November.
On Wednesday, I presented another bill, House File 2684, which would create more transparency in lobbyist reporting. Lobbying takes three different forms in Minnesota: legislative, metro-area, and administrative (in which groups weigh in on the state rulemaking process). On March 15, all lobbyists and lobbying organizations are required to file a report of how much they spent during the fiscal year. This makes sense for legislative and metro-area lobbying, but for administrative lobbyists it does not.
Several utilities groups within this subset are required to report other expenditures, such as rate setting, routing, and siting. When you lump together these non-lobbying related expenditures, the reporting is skewed and it appears that they spend more on lobbying than they actually do. My bill would make this process more transparent and allow for administrative lobbyists to disclose their actual lobbying expenditures in relation to their other expenditures. This would create a more meaningful comparison all around, and both Republican and Democratic legislators in the House and the Senate agree.
As always, it is a privilege and an honor to serve you in St. Paul. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding state legislation.
Have a great week,
Joyce
News Items
- PEPPIN REPORT: FORECAST SHOWS THIRD CONSECUTIVE STATE SURPLUS - (Posted: 2012-12-06 00:00:00)
- A Look Ahead to the 2012 Legislative Session - (Posted: 2012-01-26 00:00:00)
- A Call to Caucus - (Posted: 2012-02-04 00:00:00)
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