Dear Neighbors,
The legislative session started last Tuesday. We’ve jumped right in and heard from the Governor with his State of the State priorities and are settling in to having session in a construction zone. The shortened session will last only 10 weeks, so we have a lot to get done in a short time frame.
We recently learned that Minnesota’s budget surplus dropped from $1.2 billion to $900 million. Our economic outlook remains positive and stable, but larger economic forces have slowed growth expectations. On a personal level, many Minnesotans are feeling uncertainty and have a sense of being squeezed by an economy that’s leaving too many behind.
Unfortunately we saw few results on key priorities that matter for ordinary Minnesotans, and a serious lack of transparency in government by the House Republicans. That needs to change this session. We need to listen to Minnesotans and rebalance our economy so that it’s working better for everyone, especially the people of our district. Here are some of reforms that I am working on to make our state government work better for Minnesotans.
Solving our statewide transportation problem: We must address the long term issues with our state transportation infrastructure. As I visit with people in the district, it is clear that this is a major priority for our community. In Dakota County alone, it is estimated that we will face a $500 million shortfall in transportation upkeep. Many of the roads Eagan residents take to work, or Eagan trucking companies use to move good are already far over capacity. Minnesotans are frustrated by the gridlock on their highways and the gridlock at the State Capitol. Legislators must come together to create a long-term solution to this problem--not the same old fiscal game of shifts, gimmicks and one time money that only serves to kick the can down the road.
Getting Dark Money out of Politics: Special interests from outside our community and outside our state are spending millions of dollars trying to influence elections. However, because of a quirk in Minnesota law, these organizations don't have to disclose where they get their funding to shower our community with an endless cycle of mail and political advertising. Voters deserve to have the facts, and that’s why I’m the author of the 2016 DISCLOSE Act to shine a light on dark money in political campaigns. In the past, special interests have been very effective at blocking action on these common sense campaign finance reforms. I want the voice of the people to be heard above narrow special interest groups, so I will be working hard to pass the DISCLOSE Act this session.
Addressing the high costs of prescription drugs: The rising cost of health care and prescription drugs remains one of the largest sources of anxiety for Minnesota families. I am leading an effort with my House colleagues to contain health care costs and improve care for Minnesotans. A part of this plan is to increase transparency of prescription drug costs to begin to open the door to the true cost drivers in our system. Too many Minnesotans struggle to afford their medications, and this is an important first step to driving down costs.
Tackling our student debt crisis: Minnesota currently ranks 5th in the nation in student debt, and the average student in Minnesota graduates with $30,894 in debt. We have an opportunity to make college affordability a priority this session by freezing tuition and making it easier for graduates to refinance their loans at a lower rate. I want to be sure that college graduates leave school able to build their futures without being hampered by an abundance of debt.
Increasing mental health supports in our schools: Too many kids who need mental health services are falling through the cracks, often not getting needed intervention early because our schools are lacking critical resources. That leads to our state treating mental health crises, rather than focusing on prevention and more cost-effective care. I am working this session to put more social workers into our schools so that kids can have ready access to early mental health intervention, preventing costly and painful mental health crises situations. I am also working with others to increase funding for school based mental health services, building on this successful program to get the resources that schools need to make sure that kids and their families can access greatly needed services in an efficient manner.
I had the great honor of attending the Blue and Gold Banquet of Cub Scout Pack 455: These young community leaders were awarded the Arrow of Light, which is earned through a variety of learning experiences a scout goes through related to the outdoors, healthy activities and habits, emergency preparedness, government, community, and duty to country. The scouts were also honored for their excellent achievement in STEM education and for their wonderful leadership. Congratulations to these scouts and the important scouting volunteers and parents, who are helping to grow our next generation of Eagan leaders.
Sincerely,
Laurie Halverson