Dear Neighbors,
Greetings to you from the Capitol! This week Republican legislators released their budget targets in advance of the third legislative deadline on March 31st, which is the last day for committees to pass a bill with a major appropriation or fiscal impact. The rest of the month will be very busy at the Capitol before deadlines pass. Here are some updates from a busy week!
Blue Line Immigration Enforcement Protest
I got word late this afternoon that there is a protest at the Fort Snelling Blue Line LRT stop in opposition to the senseless and cruel rounding up of mothers, fathers, and children who are immigrants. You can find more details here about the protest sponsored by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. There will be a short march from the light rail to the Federal Building.
House Budget Targets
House Republicans announced their budget targets this week; the final piece needed for committees to craft a budget for the next two years. The budget priorities they’ve set forward are a poor reflection of our values as Minnesotans. We need to do more to help Minnesotans get ahead in our economy, and the Republican budget targets leave no room to do that.
Republicans are proposing budget cuts of nearly $600 million from health and human services, nearly $100 million from state government and veterans, no funding for a tuition freeze, and they get nowhere near the 2% annual funding increase for education in Governor Dayton’s proposed budget. All of these bad choices provide Republicans room for more than a billion dollars in tax giveaways to businesses with corporate/industrial property, and nothing in direct relief for working families.
There will be more details on their finance bills in the coming days, and I’ll be fighting to keep Minnesota’s economy strong by funding education, job training, college affordability, affordable housing, and increased access to affordable childcare.
House Transportation Plan
The House transportation plan was release on Tuesday, and it was an absolute disappointment for Minnesotans who are heavily dependent on transit, like many members of our community. We have a projected funding shortfall of nearly a billion dollars a year over the next twenty years just to maintain our current transportation infrastructure. Republicans proposed slashing transit funding and redirecting current revenue from the general fund to a special transportation fund. The general fund is supposed to be for funding education, healthcare and other state priorities – not transportation.
The Star Tribune summarized the Republican proposal, and the article makes it clear why this plan is a nonstarter. The Republicans’ first proposal starts with partisan posturing from extremes rather than trying to present ideas that can win broad bipartisan approval and lift up all Minnesotans.
Higher Education Bills Advance
I’m pleased that several bills I have authored related to higher education are moving forward, in part because of the helpful and compelling testifiers who joined me in committee. These bills impact student success and resources for pregnant students (HF 1577), provide access to childcare for student parents (HF 2257), and open avenues to higher education potential through summer academic enrichment (HF 1575). I was encouraged to see these bills continue to stay included as we debate the final Higher Education Finance Bill.
French Visitors at the Capitol
It was an honor to have visitors from France this week, especially Maliza Said Soilihi, who was has been working on freedom of expression issues in France. She was not able to wear her hijab at work in France due to lack of religious freedoms.
You can always contact me at rep.ilhan.omar@house.mn or at 651-296-4257. I appreciate hearing from you.
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Sincerely,
Ilhan Omar
State Representative