Accessibility menu
State Representative Kim Norton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9249
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
Press/News Releases
REP. KIM NORTON ENCOURAGED BY GOVERNOR PAWLENTY'S BUDGET PROPOSAL
ST. PAUL On Monday Governor Pawlenty released his budget proposal for the 2008 2009 biennium. In the budget, the Governor outlined his plans for a renewable energy initiative, health care reform, education funding, and more. Included in the Governor's proposal was $38 million of one-time funding for the University of Minnesota & Mayo Clinic's Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Genomics.
After introducing a bill last week that would provide $30 million sustainable funding over the next biennium for the U of M & Mayo Partnership, Rep. Kim Norton is encouraged by the Governor's intent to provide funding, but concerned because his proposal does so on a one-time basis only. Norton's proposal specifically and intentionally allows for additional funding should the program be considered cost-effective and in the best interest of the state.
"I am very willing to amend my bill to meet the Governor's $38 million," said Norton. "However, I want to make sure that funding for this program is ongoing and reaches the $70 million laid out in the original proposal. This work is too important to provide funding on only an experimental one-time-only basis. The University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic have proved that they are committed to results for science, health care, and the Minnesota economy. We must be committed to them as well."
Rep. Norton has said that she will continue to work with her fellow legislators and the Governor to find the best funding solutions for the Partnership and for other issues and endeavors throughout this session. While the Governor's budget has outlined key issues important to Norton including health care, education, property taxes, and energy, she is not in agreement on every aspect of the budget itself. However, she remains encouraged that the legislature and the Governor are on the same page in searching for solutions to these important issues.
"The Governor has some concepts and proposals in his budget that I am certainly in agreement with," said Norton. "But there are some things that the people of my community brought me here to do that may not be a part of the Governor's agenda. I plan to do all I can in the months ahead to bring lasting results back to the people of Rochester."
News Items
- Rep. Norton Selected as Vice Chair of House Health and Human Services Finance Committee - (Posted: 2012-12-14 00:00:00)
- Its Time for Legislature to Get Back to Basics, Balance the Budget Honestly - (Posted: 2012-12-11 00:00:00)
- Second Saturday Coffee Meeting Date Changed to December 9 - (Posted: 2012-12-03 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.