Photos from last weekend’s town hall meetings.
Dear Neighbor,
I want to start off today’s letter by thanking all the people who attended last weekend’s series of five town hall meetings Sen. Draheim and I hosted throughout District 20A cities. The input we received will be kept in mind as we consider legislation this session.
The new state budget we are working to establish is one issue where people have strong opinions. As vice chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, I will continue working very closely with the process in the House. All of the budget-related bills will be coming through that committee before heading to the floor, so I will have the opportunity to review them closely and work toward the best finished product possible.
The House unveiled its overall budget plan this week. Some of the more noteworthy components include $1.35 billion in tax relief for Minnesota families, $450 million in new funding for road and bridge infrastructure, and an overall spending level that ensures a sustainable level of state spending for the next biennium. House Republicans also are proposing $1.1 billion in new funding for K-12 schools compared to the 2016-2017 biennium.
Overall, the House’s proposed tax reform is larger and with a lower spending total when compared with plans offered by both the Senate and the governor. My thoughts on this are twofold. First, the more government taxes citizens, the less money people have to spend on their families. Also, when government increases taxes and spending, it turns into structural growth and a further reliance on tax dollars.
The point is that if we enact responsible spending totals now, our state will be better positioned during both good and bad economic times in the future. If spending is extended too far and a recession strikes, government is forced to go back and take more from the taxpayers to cover additional spending that took place in good times. If we exhibit discipline we will be in better position regardless of what the future holds. On the other hand, the more tax dollars we spend now, the more we will be obligated to spend later.
Look for details of the various areas of the budget as things progress in St. Paul between now and our adjournment in late May. It has been a very busy schedule the last few weeks with the first two deadlines arriving the House. Next week looks to be even more hectic as we near the March 31 deadline for finance bills and they come through Ways and Means.
On one final note, numerous area citizens have corresponded with me in response to an e-newsletter I sent earlier this week to address the topic of legislative salaries. The input people have provided is very much appreciated. This subject often strikes a nerve with citizens, so it has been good to see that citizens understand the letter’s message was not about me and my salary, rather an illustration of the consequences – intended or unintended – constitutional amendments can bring.
Sincerely,
Bob