Dear Neighbors,
Greetings to you from the Capitol! There are eleven days remaining until the May 22nd legislative deadline. Here are some updates on important issues:
Budget Negotiations
Talks between Governor Dayton and the Republican majority in the House & Senate had been moving forward steadily until late Monday night, when Republicans ended the negotiations and finalized their bills, despite Governor Dayton’s guarantee that he would veto budget bills in their current form. This article has a good summary of the situation.
There are numerous provisions in these budget bills that concern me. Governor Dayton & his administration have detailed their own concerns in 190 pages of letters and nearly 1,700 meetings with Republican leaders. The Governor has made clear that he will veto the bills, and this morning, he vetoed the following five bills:
Chapter 41, SF 780: This is the omnibus agriculture finance bill. To read Governor Dayton’s veto letter, click here.
Chapter 42, HF 888: This is the omnibus environment and natural resources finance bill. To read Governor Dayton’s veto letter, click here.
Chapter 43, HF 890: This is the omnibus E-12 education finance bill. To read Governor Dayton’s veto letter, click here.
Chapter 44, SF605: This is the omnibus state government, military and veterans affairs finance bill. To read Governor Dayton’s veto letter, click here.
Chapter 45, SF 800: This is the omnibus health and human services finance bill. To read Governor Dayton’s veto letter, click here.
Reduction to Local Government Aid
On Wednesday, the House passed the Conference Committee Report (CCR) for the Omnibus Taxes Bill 76-57 along party lines. The CCR included a one-time appropriation of $6 million for Local Government Aid (LGA) in 2018, of which the City of Minneapolis will receive only $428,320. This is significantly less than the Governor’s proposal of $1,581,765 for the City of Minneapolis.
Underfunding Higher Education Grants
Governor Mark Dayton is proposing a $62 million investment in the State Grant Program, but the Republicans would leave thousands of college students ineligible for State Grant assistance.
To make comparisons between the Republican budget and the Governor’s budget and understand what this funding would mean for students in colleges and universities across Minnesota, you can click here.
Prevent Measles Spread
I’m continuing to work with my colleagues, health officials and members of the community to share information on the measles outbreak. With the recent incidence of measles cases among unvaccinated children, we all need to take steps to reduce the spread of this virus.
It has been very disappointing to see the Republican Health and Human Services finance bill pass off the floor of the House this week with no funds targeted specifically at helping to stop this problem and assist with education and outreach to parents who are not vaccinating their children. That was just one of the reasons I voted against the bill.
You can join me at a Coffee and Kulan event to discuss these public health issues more in-depth. The event is on May 17 at the Brian Coyle Center from 6-7:30pm. See details here.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It can lead to hospitalization and in rare cases death. Measles spreads through the air by coughing or sneezing. You can get measles by just being in the same room as someone who has measles.
For parents concerned about the cost of immunizations, the Minnesota Vaccines for Children Program provides free or low-cost vaccines for eligible children through age 18. More information is available at Can My Child Get Free or Low Cost Shots?
For more information on measles, updates on the outbreak and important contact info you can go to the Minnesota Department of Health website here. You can also find a Measles fact sheet translated in Somali and other languages here.
Stay Connected
You can always contact me at rep.ilhan.omar@house.mn or at 651-296-4257. I appreciate hearing from you.
Please follow me on facebook and twitter to stay up to date and receive action alerts.
Sincerely,
Ilhan Omar
State Representative