ST. PAUL – Budget proposals that would fund state government over the next two years are being approved by the Minnesota Legislature and sent to Governor Dayton for his review. State Representative Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg) said he’s pleased the House and Senate are moving full speed ahead.
“We listened to the people of this state and we got our work done ahead of time, basically before Easter,” Miller said. “Now we are approving compromise budget bills with the Senate and are sending them to the governor, which is also earlier than normal. The challenge has been getting Governor Dayton to the negotiating table.”
Miller said the budget being sent to the governor includes a billion dollars of tax relief back in the pockets of Minnesota families, more than $5 billion into road and bridge infrastructure, and more than a billion dollars in increased funding for our schools.
As a separate branch of government, Miller said it is the legislature’s job to approve a fully balanced budget, and it has done so with plenty of legislative time to spare. Miller noted these proposals will improve the lives of Minnesotans and that the governor should give serious consideration to signing them.
“To date, the demands Governor Dayton has made has caused negotiations to break down, and he’s only occasionally attended the meetings,” Miller said. “The people of Minnesota are expecting better. We do have ten days left, and we still have time to get things done. But we need to get the Governor’s Office engaged as well because we cannot do this by ourselves.”