Friends,
This was another week full of putting together the budget that will work for middle-class Minnesotans and make sure Minnesota is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. I am fighting to make sure that the bills that pass out of the House move our state government in that direction. You can read more about the Higher Education bill, the Transportation bill, and more below. Have a great weekend!
Transportation bill - $2.1 billion over 2 years for Roads & Bridges
Minnesotans expect their government to be able to prioritize needs over wants and with the House transportation plan we do just that. Our plan invests $6 billion over 10 years into our roads and bridges, all without raising taxes. Fixing and improving our roads and bridges is a key function of government and I am glad we were able to do that with this plan. The proposal creates a new fund of existing tax revenue streams called the Transportation Priorities Fund. This new fund uses current, transportation-related state tax revenues to invest $450 million in new dollars for roads and bridges. Additionally, the transportation proposal would fund:
- $25 million for the Small Cities Road Assistance program
- $300 million for Corridors of Commerce program
- $35 million for rail grade crossings
- Funding to repair or replace all 97 bridges on MnDOT's local bridge priority list
You can see my video on the Transportation bill here.
Rep. Barr speaking during debate on budget bills
Putting Students First
Our Higher Education Bill puts Minnesota's students first. The House Education finance bill puts a freeze for two year state colleges during the 2017-18 school year and a 1-percent reduction in 2018-19. Tuition at state universities would be frozen in 2019. The plan also includes a number of provisions to help students, including my proposal that will require a public post-secondary institution to admit an applicant who is in the top 10 percent of their Minnesota high school graduating class. You can watch my video on the higher education plan here. The bill also includes:
- Establishing a workforce development scholarship to incentivize students to enter high-demand occupations after high school graduation.
- Funding a program for student debt counseling through the Department of Education.
- Creating student loan forgiveness programs for people who relocate to Greater Minnesota, or pursue aviation, agricultural or teaching degrees.
- Prohibiting mandatory student activity fees at public post-secondary institutions.
- Establishing a scholarship program for qualified teachers of color.
- Creating an academic program for students with intellectual disabilities at Minnesota State.
Rep. Barr with Speaker Daudt and Imam Asad Zaman with MAS Minnesota,
who served as the House Chaplain for a day this week.
On this day in History
In 1970, John Wayne won his first and only Oscar for the classic Western, True Grit.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with me. You can schedule a time to meet with me in my office any time by calling me at 651-296-4192, or share your thoughts by emailing me at rep.regina.barr@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Regina