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State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
BUDGET IMPASSE COMES TO AN END House and Senate pass "lights on " bill, ending government shutdown
With a final budget agreement in hand, we are near the end of this Special Session. While all the details of the budget have not been finalized, I do know that we have a better plan today than we would have had a few weeks ago. Early in the session, when we first saw the drastic cuts the Governor wanted to make to education and health care, we understood the enormity of the task before us. This sharpened our focus and strengthened our commitment to doing what is right for the people of Minnesota.
As Democrats, our top priority this session was to address the financial distress of our schools that was caused by the Republican cuts two years ago. Because of our insistence, the funding formula for our schools is twice as big in this budget as in the Governor's original plan. This was a win for our schools and students.
The Governor wanted to balance the budget by taking away the health insurance of nearly 40,000 Minnesotans. We stood united in opposition to those cuts, and, because of our diligence and commitment to affordable health care for all Minnesotans, these cuts are no longer on the table.
The very fact that we are still talking about education and health care in July is a victory of sorts. We have held strong, and because of that, adequate funding for our schools is part of the final deal, and almost 40,000 Minnesotans will not lose their health care. These are accomplishments I am proud of, and I believe that our state is better off because we "fought the good fight".
There are other accomplishments in this bill that we worked hard for. The Governor's plan did not include any money for Local Government Aid (LGA); it is now funded. We were able to save the renter's credit and the political contribution refund from being cut. And, even though the Governor vetoed the excellent transportation bill that was passed by both Houses earlier, we were still able to get a decent amount of funding in the final bill for transit and transportation. More details will be worked out this week-end and final passage is expected to take place next Wednesday.
In the meantime, we passed a "lights on" bill, ending the partial government shutdown eight days after it started. This is good news for the almost 9,000 state employees who have been laid off, and we will all benefit from the restoration of services that were cut.
Sometimes gridlock is a sign that the system is working, that both sides are standing up for what they believe in and feel that it is worth going the distance for. I know that the thousands of Minnesotans who will be able to stay on MinnesotaCare, and the children, teachers and parents who will benefit from replenished school budgets agree-this one was worth fighting for. While it may not be perfect, it is better than what we could have had.
Throughout this session, I have been here on behalf of the people in District 27B. I have been diligent and worked hard, and hope that my constituents respect my efforts and feel that I have brought integrity to the office. And, while I have been frustrated at times over the last few weeks, most of all I have felt proud to be a public servant. I am not ashamed to fight for the issues I believe in, and I am pleased to see how far we have come.
Please continue to call or write if you have ideas or concerns you want to share about state or local issues. I can be reached by phone at 1-888-682-3180 or 1-651-296-4193, by mail at 231 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at the above address. If you are interested in receiving my e-newsletter, please email me at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn and your name will be added to our list.
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
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