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State Representative Linda Slocum
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7158
For more information contact: Ted Modrich 651-296-5809
NEWS COLUMN
A DISAPPOINTING LEGISLATIVE SESSION
We began this session facing one of the largest deficits in Minnesota’s history and a struggling economy. With the dramatic challenges facing us, the Minnesota Legislature needed to rise to the challenge. Instead, the Republican majority presided over one of the most unproductive sessions in our history.
Facing a record budget deficit and struggling economy, it was the DFL’s priority to work together to reach consensus on a balanced budget that encourages broad prosperity. We worked diligently on behalf of middle class families that have been squeezed by rising property taxes, health insurance premiums, and increased state fees over the past decade. That is because broad prosperity is best preserved by fair taxes, strong public schools for our children, affordable college tuition for Minnesota students and their families, access to affordable health care and good-paying jobs.
Unfortunately, the Republican’s priority was divisive issues, protecting special interests and the richest 2 percent of Minnesotans. Despite repeated offers of compromise from DFLers in the legislature and Governor Dayton, the Republican majority refused to consider anything except their all-cuts budget, regardless of the impact it would have on middle class families, students, seniors, and the disabled.
In order to protect the wealthiest 2 percent of Minnesotans, here’s what the GOP all-cuts budget wants to do:
• Increase property taxes by $1.3 billion due to local property tax relief cuts, reduction in the renters’ credit, and the elimination of the Market Value Homestead Credit.
• Eliminate more than 30,000 jobs – most in the private sector.
• Make the deepest cut to higher education in state history, resulting in tuition hikes, decreased course offerings, and the elimination of hundreds of staff and faculty.
• Grow the size of K-12 classrooms by cutting K-12 education by $50 million, creates winners and losers among children with disproportionate cuts across the state, and deeply slashes special education.
• Eliminate health care for 145,000 Minnesotans, reduces services for seniors and the disabled, and significantly cuts hospitals which eliminates jobs and increases the cost of health insurance premiums.
• Reduce victims’ services, affecting the availability of domestic violence and sexual assault survivor programs, as well as services for victims of child abuse.
• Cut transit services that many with a fixed income—including seniors, the disabled, and students—rely on to get to work, school, the doctor, grocery stores, and church.
The Republican majority has also displayed a stunning lack of leadership. Examples from this year are unorganized floor sessions and agenda planning to ignoring non-partisan fiscal impact of legislation, to disrespecting and demeaning public testifiers. Republicans have not led in a manner befitting and respectful to Minnesotans.
We’ve continually opposed the GOP all-cuts budget and have protested their lack of leadership. We’ve also heard overwhelmingly from the people of Minnesota that they want a balanced approach and a budget compromise that has everyone pitching in, and encourages broad, shared prosperity. That’s exactly what Governor Dayton and DFLers in the legislature have been proposing.
We remain committed to securing a budget that moves our state forward instead of backwards. That means passing a budget that supports middle class taxpayers, grows small businesses, educates our children to compete in a 21st century global economy, and takes care of elderly and disabled Minnesotans.
With our deficit unresolved we also look forward to talking with you about your choices and priorities for our state’s future. Please continue to contact us with your ideas and input.
It continues to be an honor to represent our great communities in the state legislature.
News Items
- New Legislation Increases Local Control - (Posted: May 21 2013 12:02PM)
- Protecting Families After Losing A Loved One - (Posted: May 6 2013 3:44PM)
- Homeowners, Richfield & Bloomington Benefit From Property Tax Relief Legislation - (Posted: Apr 8 2013 6:44PM)
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