Dear Neighbors,
We are at the State Capitol on a Sunday, as is common the weekend before adjournment. However, we are passing a historically low amount of bills in these final days. Moreover, negotiations have gotten complex with stark differences between the Governor and legislative leaders, and the odds of a special session seem to be increasing.
The key issue that has emerged is the level of commitment we are prepared to make to public education. Many legislators and the Governor can’t support the idea of ending this session with such a small commitment to education funding when the state has an anticipated $2 billion surplus. The Governor has announced that he will veto any education bill that doesn’t include funding for Pre-Kindergarten programs.
Budget Negotiations Update
Leaders of the Republican-controlled House and the DFL-led Senate had agreed to joint budget targets. Interestingly the agreement included no tax bill and only a very limited transportation bill, which we are debating at this time. It's unclear what policies have been agreed to at this point, but bills are starting to emerge from conference committees. In the interest of our district, I cannot support the education budget House and Senate leaders have agreed to. With several conference committees not yet done I’m not clear how we can finish the normal amount of work the legislature does before midnight on Monday.
I and many other state legislators stand with Governor Dayton and his call for a $550 million increase for E-12 Education. He has stated he will veto the education bill unless it contains adequate funding and it’s my belief that he is right to do so. Minnesota has a projected surplus of nearly $2 billion. Going back on our state’s commitment to our children is the wrong direction for Minnesota. His proposal for Universal Pre-K education, similar to what other states have adopted, would be a strong step forward in closing the achievement gap. It would benefit the over 500 Minneapolis families who have chosen Minneapolis Public Schools’ High-5 program but are on a waiting list due to insufficient funding. It’s a strong program that prepares students for kindergarten and it would be a real benefit for the kids on the wait list to be able to attend.
Click here to see a letter my colleagues and I sent supporting the Governor's call for more education funding.
No Transportation Package this year
We learned today that leaders weren’t able to come to an agreement on a package for new transportation funding. Instead, they have opted to pass a so-called “lights on bill” which only ensures that our state and local transportation entities won’t shut down. This is a great disappointment for our area and indeed, the state as a whole. There was real progress made in agreeing how large the funding crisis for our state’s transportation system is. You may recall that House Republicans originally proposed a roughly $200 million funding package, only for roads and bridges. This was roundly rejected by communities all over the state for not addressing the many miles of roads that are nearing the end of their life cycle, the increasing congestion in the metro, and the reality of our aging population’s need for more transit options.
The Governor and DFL Senators stood fast to their commitment to new, dedicated funding for roads and transit that won’t interfere with our ability to fund schools, and priorities that don’t penalize those of us who live in the metro area. House Republican leaders did not compromise at all during their negotiations despite acknowledging the scale of the problem.
I hope we are able to resolve some of these differences over the next year and pass a needed transportation funding package. Please contact me with any questions or suggestions by email at rep.jim.davnie@house.mn or by phone at 651.296.0173.
Sincerely,
Jim Davnie