ST. PAUL – Governor Mark Dayton delivered his State of the State address to a joint convention of the Minnesota Legislature this evening. Governor Dayton emphasized the strong performance of Minnesota’s economy and reiterated his desire to see the $1.9 billion budget surplus used to for strong investments in Minnesota’s schools, from universal pre-kindergarten programs to continuing the tuition freeze at state colleges and universities.
“The Governor is right,” said Rep. Erik Simonson (DFL – Duluth). “With a $1.9 billion budget surplus, the time to invest in our future is now. We may never have another opportunity like this to invest in our students, and to throw that away on corporate tax giveaways as GOP leaders have proposed would be a mistake. The future of our economy can only improve if we act now to invest in early learners and continue to freeze tuition for our college students. He’s called on us to act and I think we need to listen.”
Rep. Simonson encourages community members to contact him on any legislative issue. He can be reached by email at rep.erik.simonson@house.mn or phone at 651-296-4246.