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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Abigail Whelan (R)

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Legislative Update (December 11, 2015)

Friday, December 11, 2015

Dear Neighbors,

I Hope this December finds you well. There is a lot going on in our state this Holiday Season, including debate over a budget surplus.

Budget Surplus

The Minnesota Management and Budget Office announced last week that the state is projected to collect a $1.8 billion dollar surplus for 2016-2017. While the surplus will sit at $1.8 billion, the state is required by law to put about $600 million of that money into our budget reserves. This leaves roughly $1.2 billion for legislators and the Governor to work with.

Such a large surplus indicates to me that the hardworking taxpayers of Minnesota are being overtaxed (as you may recall, the past two years saw Minnesotans’ taxes go up by over $2 billion). Therefore, first and foremost, I would like to see a large portion of this money go towards tax relief and reform. Last year, the House passed a tax bill that would have reduced taxes on middle class families, college students, seniors, veterans, small businesses, and more. I would expect similar legislation to be looked at this coming session as we look for ways to bring much needed tax relief to all Minnesotans.

In addition to tax relief, I support putting additional funds towards a common sense transportation plan. Last year, I was proud to support a proposal that would have invested $7 billion over the next 10 years in our state’s crumbling roads and bridges.

As always, I am open to hearing your ideas and suggestions for how we should proceed with this surplus. While it remains to be seen what will become of these additional dollars, I am committed to ensuring that your voice is heard at the table of fellow lawmakers and special interest groups that will no doubt be clamoring for a piece of the pie.

Department of Education Survey

The Minnesota Department of Education conducts a survey of students throughout the state every three years. I recently learned that some parents may not be aware their child is taking this survey at school. Some of the sample questions include:

Can you talk to your mother/father about your problems?

Do you currently get free or reduced-price lunch?

Do you feel safe at home?

How tall are you?

How much do you weigh?

Do you have a long-term (more than 6 months) metal health problem?

How much do you feel your parents care about you?

Many of these seem innocuous and students are not required to give any personal information like name, school ID number etc., but there are still questions that could be used to identify a student, especially in a smaller district. Some of these questions include:

Are you male/female?

What is your grade in school?

Age

Which adults do you live with?

Race

Do you have an IEP?

Do you get free or reduced-price lunch?

How many times have you changed schools this year?

How many times in the last 30 days have you been suspended?

Have you ever been treated for a mental health, emotional, or behavioral problem?

Have you even been treated for drug or alcohol abuse?

Right now, parents can opt their child OUT of the survey, but must do so with written permission. Some districts choose the opposite approach where parents must give written permission to ALLOW the student to take the survey. If you’re like me and have concerns over this data and how it could be used, I would encourage you to contact our local school board members here and suggest an “opt in” policy.

Stay in Touch

I encourage you to contact me via email at rep.abigail.whelan@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-1729 to share your suggestions on the surplus.

 

Thank you and enjoy your weekend,

Abigail