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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
Two weeks to avert shutdown
Greetings from the Capitol!
There are 14 days left to balance the budget before a government shutdown on July 1 and the work continues to strike a workable solution between the Legislature and governor.
The Legislature has offered two significant compromises within the last two weeks. First, we offered to accept the governor’s spending levels on 50 percent of the budget which the governor did not respond to. Then, just yesterday, another offer was presented to eliminate our proposed tax relief if the governor backed off his tax increases. While we believe Minnesotans and our economy would be well-served by tax relief, we also recognize a government shutdown or tax increases will bring harmful results.
Unfortunately, Gov. Dayton has not accepted either offer and instead has turned his focus to issuing plans for a government shutdown. The only way for the budget to get resolved is for both the governor and Legislature to present offers that include detail on all revenues and expenditures.
This is something that both sides have agreed to, however. While the governor has issued complete shutdown recommendations, he refuses to provide details on the $1.8 billion in spending as proposed in his budget. Not having these details of his budget makes it impossible to have a full picture of what his budget is proposing for the future of the state. Please keep in mind, the Legislature recently came to the governor’s number with an increase of $80 million dollars in education funding and $30 million for public safety. It is frustrating to see the lack of compromise and negotiation coming from the Governor and I hope with two weeks to go this trend changes quickly.
The fact is, a state shutdown is completely avoidable. We can keep government open, have the largest budget in state history and not raise taxes. State governments across the country are holding the line on taxes and spending. We must do the same if Minnesota is going to compete for jobs and grow our economy.
The budget passed by the Legislature represents a 6-percent increase in spending. While you may hear the "cut" word used a lot, what it really means is a reduction in a hoped-for increase. The rate at which government spending is growing has got to be addressed, we cannot simply work on auto-pilot and allow the double-digit increases in spending to continue year after year.
The budget presented by the legislature is a fiscally responsible approach that funds Minnesota priorities, promotes reform and sets our state up for a sustainable future. I think a 6-percent increase in spending over what we are currently living on is enough.
As always, I welcome your input and I hope that you all have an enjoyable weekend, and to all of the dads out there I wish you a very happy Father's Day!!
Sincerely,
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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