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State Representative Kelby Woodard
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7065
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NEWS COLUMN
Down to the wire in St. Paul
By Rep. Kelby Woodard
We continue to work feverishly to reach a budget solution by Monday, which is the constitutional date for adjournment of the Legislature.
The debate over the state budget boils down to whether we can live within projected revenues or whether we need to raise taxes on Minnesotans. I am committed to ensuring we live within our means and am proud that we have delivered a budget to the Governor that funds our priorities and provides a foundation for sustainability.
As a reminder, the state budget for the last biennium was just under $31 billion. The House and Senate have passed a budget that stays within the $34 billion in revenue the state expects to receive in the next biennium. The Governor's proposal raises taxes and spends nearly $36 billion.
There are a few promising signs of progress. I would like to thank the Governor for asking me to join him in face-to-face discussions regarding the K-12 education portion of the budget. We met for about an hour today and exchanged perspectives in a productive conversation.
I remain committed to a budget that includes sustainability and lives within the means of Minnesota taxpayers. We must enact reforms that enable our state to operate within the moderate 6-percent spending increase the Legislature has proposed. I am optimistic that our perseverance this week and throughout the weekend will produce results Minnesotans can support.
I will keep you up to speed as things unfold here in St. Paul. As always, I welcome your input at rep.kelby.woodard@house.mn.
News Items
- Woodard prioritizes school funding - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 2:43PM)
- Forecast reveals results, challenges - (Posted: 2012-12-06 00:00:00)
- Woodard bill to fix sex offender appeal glitch signed in to law - (Posted: 2012-04-23 00:00:00)
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