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State Representative Tara Mack
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5506
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Email update
Town hall meeting Thursday
Greetings from the Capitol!
Here's a look at some of what's going on in the Legislature.
TOWN HALL MEETING THURSDAY
We are reaching a crucial time in the current legislative session and I would like to receive your input during a town hall meeting I will host this Thursday, March 31.
The meeting will be 6:30 p.m. at the Apple Valley American Legion (14521 Granada Dr.) Both Sen. Chris Gerlach of Apple Valley and Rep. Kurt Bills of Rosemount are scheduled to join me for the town hall.
We will start with a very brief overview of the issues and then turn to the audience for input. We are in the process of fine-tuning bills which will set the states budget, so this is the perfect time for you to pass along any thoughts, ideas or suggestions. This communication will help me continue doing my best to represent local citizens at the Capitol.
K-12 EDUCATION
The K-12 education bill will come to the floor of the House this week. This bill takes important steps towards creating more equity in education funding. Our commitment to upholding K-12 as a budget priority is clearly reflected in the proposal that is moving forward.
Under the current proposal, School District 196 would receive at least $114 more per student over each of the next two years. Our focus is on developing a more equitable K-12 funding formula so our outstanding local school district officials can do even more to prepare our students for the future.
A MORE EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT
I expect the House to soon approve a bill which brings sweeping reform initiatives designed to reduce costs, improve service delivery, and drive government into the 21st century. The package of reforms we are offering promotes fiscal stability, modernizes state services and provides innovation.
This translates to a 33-percent reduction from base-level funding. We propose reforming government with:
15-percent reduction of state workforce by 2015;
state employee pay freeze for two years;
formation of a Sunset Commission;
zero-based budgeting principles;
pay for performance and more.
We also are proposing serious reform within the House of Representatives itself, including:
a reduction to member Per Diem from the current $77 per day to $66;
a freeze (in place since 2008) on permanent employee salaries to current levels;
an increase for member and employee health insurance of 7.7 percent in each year of the biennium;
elimination of funding for tuition reimbursement;
minimal funding for out-of-state travel, with speaker approval only;
and reducing committee budgets.
You can always reach me by e-mailing rep.tara.mack@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Tara
News Items
- April 6 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-04-06 00:00:00)
- March 30 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-03-30 00:00:00)
- March 23 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-03-23 00:00:00)
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