ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota House approved the Republican state budget package early Sunday morning. The omnibus supplemental budget bill, while totaling 990 pages and encompassing every area of the state budget, left out meaningful efforts to end the state opioid epidemic, improve eldercare, deliver adequate emergency school aid and other critical priorities. The legislation was placed on lawmakers’ desks just a few hours before they were set to vote. Gov. Mark Dayton indicated earlier Saturday the bill would face a veto.
Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL – Hibbing) issued the following statement:
“I’m disappointed this budget bill, in its nearly 1,000 pages, offers little in the way of meaningful measures to improve the lives of Minnesotans. All session, the majority party has used our seniors, our students, our veterans, and those suffering from addiction as political bargaining chips. This is wrong. Rather than just working in good faith toward real solutions, because of the Republican gamesmanship and special interest influence, persistent issues like the opioid crisis, treatment of seniors and other vulnerable adults, underfunded schools, and high health care costs will all likely go unaddressed.
“I’m still holding out hope a bill to shore up state employee pensions will be considered today, and we can reach a compromise on a public infrastructure bill. We can accomplish great things for Minnesotans when we work together, and I’m still optimistic we can do so in these last hours.”