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State Representative Duane Quam
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9236
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
NEWS COLUMN
OMNIBUS FINANCE BILLS BEING DEBATED ON HOUSE FLOOR
We in the Minnesota House had some grueling floor sessions this past week, as we worked to solve our state's budget issues by approving several omnibus finance proposals.
An omnibus finance bill contains a large number of proposals from a particular program area, such as higher education or agriculture. Each bill funds that area of government for the next two years, and it also includes a variety of policy provisions designed to improve or reform that area.
As I write this, the Minnesota House has approved the following omnibus finance proposals: Taxes, transportation, environment, K-12 education, higher education, agriculture, and public safety.
These bills can present a Catch-22 situation. In almost every one of these finance proposals, I have found several provisions I do not like, and would not vote for if they were being approved or denied as stand-alone plans. But with an omnibus bill, a lawmaker is forced to weigh the good against the bad before casting a vote. And in every case to date, I have found that the vast majority of the proposals contain great things for Minnesota, so I have supported them.
For instance, rural Minnesota schools benefit greatly from our K-12 education bill with increased the base per-pupil funding and additional financial assistance for districts that have less than one thousand students. Our transportation bill finally put the brakes on the fiscally irresponsible Metro Area light rail proposals, and instead increased local road and state highway funding by nearly $250 million over the next two years. The House agriculture bill protects the integrity of the food supply, and provides continued funding and support for agriculture literacy programs such as 4-H and the Future Farmers of America.
And all of the finance bills force government to live within its means and spend only what it has available, which is what the voters demanded back in November.
Once the House and the Senate have approved all of their omnibus bills, a conference committee will be called to iron out the differences between each proposal and create a compromise plan that can be approved by both bodies. After that happens, the compromise plans will be sent to Governor Dayton for his approval.
News Items
- Legislative Update from Rep. Duane Quam - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 3:55PM)
- CLARIFYING MISCONCEPTIONS ON SEVERAL BILLS - (Posted: 2012-04-05 00:00:00)
- SIGNIFICANT BILLS BEING PASSED OFF HOUSE FLOOR - (Posted: 2012-03-30 00:00:00)
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