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State Representative Tara Mack
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5506
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Gov. vetoes budget bills
To the editor:
The Legislature adjourned late Monday, having passed a balanced state budget. Tuesday afternoon the Governor vetoed the budget bills, setting us up for a special session.
The budget proposed by the Legislature lives within the state’s means by not exceeding our $34 billion in available revenue; this marks a 6-percent increase in spending over the current biennium. Our budget spends what we have in the state checkbook without raising taxes and allows us to fund the state’s priorities and provide tax relief while holding classrooms, nursing homes and veterans harmless from funding reductions from what they currently receive.
In addition to the budget, we passed permit reform, alternative pathways to teacher licensure, photo id, and significant reforms in health and human services.
I am proud of the work we did this session; we balanced the budget without raising taxes, cut red tape, and reformed education, health care and the way state government operates. It is disappointing to see this good work overshadowed by a special session that does not need to happen.
This session I was also active authoring several bills with local impact. One will help reduce congestion along Cedar Avenue and allow continued progress to be made as the state’s first Bus Rapid Transit rolls into Apple Valley. I also worked on issues to assist the Minnesota Zoo as it continues to develop in new ways and reach our community and those around the state.
Looking ahead, more work remains to resolve the budget. There is a stark difference between the governor’s proposal to raise taxes in order to spend $2 billion more than we expect to have in revenue and the Legislature’s proposal to live within our means. Despite our differences, we are committed to working with Gov. Dayton to resolve the state’s budget problem and hope to expedite negotiations to resolve the budget differences.
As we move forward, I will continue to represent working families, small business owners and the future of Minnesota’s economy. Thank you for the privilege of serving our great community.
Sincerely,
Rep. Tara Mack
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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