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State Representative Kim Norton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9249
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
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REP. NORTON BALANCES BUDGET, PROTECTS MINNESOTAPRIORITIES
ST.PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Legislature reached agreement with Governor Tim Pawlenty Sunday on a responsible, balanced budget solution. Lawmakers worked into the morning to pass the plan – a solution that creates jobs, protects students and nursing homes, fairly funds hospitals, and makes health care more affordable for all Minnesotans.
“Our state is facing unprecedented economic and fiscal challenges," said state Rep.Kim Norton (DFL – Rochester). “These are emotional, complex problems that required leadership and courage to resolve.
“Despite our differences, we did the work necessary to balance the budget and protect Minnesota’s highest priorities – strong schools, good jobs, and affordable health care.”
Overtwo years, lawmakers faced more than a $7.4 billion budget shortfall. To handle the deficit, the Legislature cut more than $2.3 billion in state spending andleveraged $3.2 billion in federal funding. Delaying aid payments to K-12 schools also saved the state $1.9 billion – without enacting permanent cuts to classrooms. While these strategies address the budget in the short term, the long term structural issues in the budget remain unaddressed and that job will fall on the next legislature and Governor.
Nortonreiterated the Legislature’s efforts to grow jobs this biennium. Through smart investments in infrastructure, and new reforms to make the state’s business climate more competitive, lawmakers helped put Minnesota on track for economic recovery.
This year’s bonding bill is projected to create 20,000 jobs. Another 10,000 jobs arecreated through an economic development bill. And health care legislation passed today could protect and create another 22,000 good-paying jobs.
“Getting Minnesotans back to work has been our highest priority – because our state’s future depends on the strength of working families,” said Norton. “We have worked hard for two years to make it happen. The work we have done has slowed job losses, created new jobs, and put Minnesota in a position for a more prosperous future.”
With the state budget balanced, schools and nursing homes protected, and thousands of new jobs created, Norton considers this session a success.
“Noone got everything they wanted,” Rep. Norton said. “But our state got what it needed. Considering the circumstances, let’s call it a job well done.”
News Items
- 2013 Session Legislation - (Posted: Jun 7 2013 3:13PM)
- Rep. Norton Selected for MN Delegation to Germany, June 2-8 - (Posted: Jun 3 2013 1:36PM)
- Destination Medical Center Provision Heads To House Floor - (Posted: May 19 2013 12:00AM)
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