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State Representative Tim O'Driscoll
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7808
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Email update
Long nights in the House
Dear Neighbor,
Last week was very busy in the House as we debated omnibus budget bills late into the night. Our session that started on Tuesday evening went until 2:45 Wednesday morning. When all is said and done, the omnibus bills will fulfill my campaign promise to balance the budget without raising taxes.
As evidenced by the long floor sessions, filling a $5.1 billion budget deficit is not an easy task. Difficult decisions were made but through prioritizing our values, we were able to bridge the gap while still funding priorities.
For example, let’s look at K-12 education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for those without a high school diploma is nearly 16 percent compared with the overall unemployment rate of 8.9 percent. Education is not only a priority for many Minnesotans, it is a jobs issue.
The K-12 omnibus finance bill passed by the House would increase per pupil funding for all of the school districts in our area. Sartell-St. Stephen schools would receive a funding increase of $263 per student by 2013. Sauk Rapids-Rice would see an increase of $109 per student and Holdingford of $123 per student. We are investing in education while also implementing reforms and demanding accountability for every dollar spent.
Governor Dayton has proposed spending that outpaces revenue growth and has proposed massive tax increases to pay for the difference. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “Overall, states enacted a net tax increase of nearly $4 billion in 2010.” By comparison, Governor Dayton has proposed a $4 billion tax increase over the next two years for Minnesota.
We need to get government spending under control while still funding priorities like K-12 education. Runaway spending creates uncertainty for job creators and crowds out private investment. Our budget bills will put Minnesota on a viable path for job creation and economic growth.
This week, we take up the Jobs and Economic Development and the Health and Human Services finance bills.
The Green Acres fix bill I cosponsored passed the House on a bipartisan 98-24 vote. It also passed the Senate with a similar margin. It is now headed to a conference committee to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions. It was important for us to pass this by the May 1 deadline for enrolling in the program and I’m happy to have accomplished that. You can read more about it here.
If you haven’t done so already, please click here to take my 2011 issues survey. Your input is important to me as we continue to tackle some major issues over the last half of session.
Hope you have a great week!
-Tim
News Items
- O'Driscoll Begins Second Term in MN House - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 4:00PM)
- MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE ANNOUNCES PASSAGE OF BILL TO MODIFY MANDATORY TIERED WATER PRICING FOR CITIES - (Posted: 2012-04-02 00:00:00)
- REPRESENTATIVE O’DRISCOLL’S LAND TRUST BILL PASSES THROUGH THE HOUSE - (Posted: 2012-03-19 00:00:00)
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