Friends,
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to be in the audience for my first State of State address. Gov. Dayton not only laid out for us lawmakers where the state is today, but he called on all of us to work together toward a brighter future.
There is no question that the governor and the DFL have the state moving in the right direction. Gov. Dayton had the numbers to back that up.
We have over 72,000 more jobs today than when he took office two years ago. Our state’s job growth last year was the 12th in the nation.
Agricultural commodities exports increased by 13 percent in 2012. Total exports of all Minnesota goods and services have achieved eight straight quarters of record growth.
Our students’ educational attainments have improved. Math scores for all tested grades, improved by 5.3 percent from 2011 to 2012, and reading scores improved overall by 1.3 percent.
We continue to shine in the area of health care. We have, and continue to, lead the nation in important measures of health, including the lowest heart disease death rate, and the lowest percentage of obese or overweight children. We have the second longest life expectancy for all our citizens and we’re number one for males.
Last year, we eliminated premiums and expanded health care access for 16,000 Minnesota children, and the AARP Commonwealth Fund said the Minnesota provided best long term care services.
But that’s not good enough Minnesotans, the governor or me. We need to work even harder to carve out an even brighter future for our children.
The governor has laid a course to that future.
After a decade of deep cuts, short-sighted accounting gimmicks, and borrowing from our future, Minnesota faces another billion dollar budget deficit. Gov. Dayton and I both know that the way out of our structural deficits is not to repeat the past. We cannot simply cut our way to prosperity.
We need a new budget approach to put our state on a path to long-term economic prosperity -- one that is fair, responsible and does not place the burden for solving our budget issues on the backs of middle class families.
I agree with Gov. Dayton that investing in educations should be a priority. A world-class educated workforce is critical to our state’s long-term economic success.
And the governor’s commitment to tax fairness – for the middle class, for homeowners and for small businesses – is welcome after being absent from the statehouse for years.
I’m proud to be a part of the Legislature and I am proud to be working with a governor who wants to invest in Minnesota rather than one who insists on cutting and dismembering the programs and policies that have made Minnesota the great state that we enjoy today.
At times we may differ on the details on how to achieve what is best for the state, but with the vision outlined by Gov. Dayton, we will restore Minnesota to its rightful place as a leader in education and fair taxation.
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Let me hear from you
Please feel free to contact me with your questions, suggestions and concerns. My office is room 411 in the State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4308 and by email at rep.mike.sundin@house.mn.
Have a good week,
Mike