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State Representative Ryan Winkler
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7026
For more information contact: Charlie Vander Aarde 651-297-8406
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REPUBLICANS WANT BUDGET BAILOUT
GOP Lawmakers Bail On Their Own Budget, Once True Costs, Cuts Come to Light
(ST. PAUL) – State Representative Ryan Winkler (DFL – Golden Valley) responded today to Republican lawmakers’ claims on school funding levels.
“Republicans have talked over and over about how they can balance the budget without hurting our schools and quality of life," explained Winkler. “But there’s a word for talk that is intentionally misleading—it’s called a lie. The Republicans are trying to cover their tracks as the public learns just how bad their budget is for Minnesota.”
Winkler addressed the Republican cuts to public schools, noting Minnesota owes its schools $3.45 billion or $4,168 per student. “Schools receive less funding under this Republican budget. Most families call that a cut.” The 2012-13 budget enacted in July delays 40 percent of payments to schools, with no way to pay it back. “The hypocrisy and fiscal mismanagement from a party that claimed to govern with fiscal responsibility is astounding,” said Winkler. “Sending fifty bucks to a school district to cover interest payments on debt that the GOP budget forced on them is not a funding increase. It’s a talking point.”
Several Republican legislators have spoken out against local school funding levies, telling school districts not to renew any existing levies or not to enact new levies to fund teachers and technology. “Having GOP legislators tell school districts how to budget is like a Wall Street bank telling the government how to bail it out. They don’t have much credibility.”
On property taxes, the elimination of the market value homestead credit has caused anger among homeowners across the state. Republicans tried to blame Governor Dayton for eliminating the tax credit, even though it was their proposal. “Republicans protected the richest two percent from income tax increases and Minnesota families will pay the price in higher property taxes. No wonder Republicans want to bail out of their own budget.”
“This is their budget,” said Winkler. “They should own it. Their desire to bail out is understandable, but Minnesotans are too smart to buy their story.”
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