Dear Neighbors,
Today is the first day of the Easter and Passover recess. When we return, the House and Senate will continue to assemble the state budget and the GOP House and Senate leadership will be tasked with establishing joint budget targets to match up their finance bills.
Over the past two weeks, several omnibus budget bills have been heard on the House floor. Here is an update on a few of those bills that have passed:
Public Safety Omnibus Bill
Having served on the Public Safety Committee consistently over the years, except for this biennium, I was disappointed with some of the provisions in the final bill, such as funding for 21st century public safety tools, bomb squads, criminal investigation analysts, and correctional institution security upgrades. While there were some parts of the bill I didn’t like, the good outweighed the bad, and I supported the measure. I hope it can be improved in conference committee.
Legacy
As Minnesotans, we take pride in and enjoyment from our natural resources and the arts. The Legacy bill allocates constitutionally dedicated funds to clean water, parks and trails, and arts and cultural heritage. This package funds all parts of the state and includes many diverse projects and initiatives, including the Outdoor Heritage Fund, Clean Water Fund, Parks and Trails Fund and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The bill passed unanimously.
K-12 & Higher Education
Here in Minnesota, we have a tradition of making strong investments in our students, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent some of the highest performing school districts in the state. Parents choose to raise their families here due in large part to these outstanding levels of achievement. I’ve remained focused on ensuring our Minnesota students have excellent educational opportunities. However, the K-12 Education Omnibus bill falls far short of what is needed to improve and build on our success.
Teachers and school districts across the state have asked for at least a 2% per pupil increase, which has had bipartisan legislative support in the past. House Republicans included a 1.25% increase, in order to make room for spending provisions in other budget areas. I am concerned this could lead to larger class sizes, fewer resources and less support for our students. The bill also eliminates the voluntary Pre-K program and the Perpich Center for the Arts. There is also a significant cut to the Department of Education.
As a past member of the Higher Education Committee, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with my colleagues on finding solutions toward addressing college affordability and student loan debt. Unfortunately, this bill comes in millions less than what is needed to address the problem. There are several short term band-aid provisions in the bill; one would freeze college tuition for two year colleges for two years only. This is a very small step toward fixing a large problem plaguing Minnesota students and families.
A sound education system helps guarantee our workforce can compete with other states and countries.
Both bills passed without my support. Our students and youth need and deserve better.
Discussing K-12 education funding and college affordability with students from Hopkins High School.
Please always feel free to keep in touch about these bills and any others you care about. I appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Paul