Dear neighbors,
We are working through the last few days of the legislative session. I want to provide you with a brief update on some of the bills we have passed and have left to address before we adjourn on Monday, May 20.
This session I was proud to serve as vice-Chair of the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. The Judiciary and Public Safety Omnibus bill was recently passed on a bipartisan vote and will keep our streets safer by providing law enforcement needed resources, assisting victims and increasing sex offender and chemical dependency treatment proved to reduce recidivism.
While we accomplished a great deal this session, I feel we could have done more to reduce gun violence here in Minnesota. I have heard from hundreds of people in our community about the need for universal background checks when purchasing firearms. I believe in our constitutional right to bear arms, but do believe that we could have reached a workable compromise to satisfy gun owners, law enforcement and community members to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.
We recently passed the Higher Education budget, and as a member of the higher education conference committee, I fought for our House positions to reduce student debt and hold down tuition. Most of our positions prevailed, and in the final bill we freeze tuition at both the U of M and MnSCU schools for the next two years for undergraduates.
In addition to this freeze, we are implementing new reforms to make sure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely at our higher education institutions. In light of tuition that has nearly doubled in the last ten years and public scrutiny for high administrative costs, we held a series of oversight hearings this session to focus on how to address tuition, debt and fees for students. The end result is increased oversight of state funding to MnSCU and the U of M that will keep tuition from rising and prevent the ongoing increases we have seen in recent years due to administrative waste.
The Jobs, Commerce, Energy and Housing Bill has also passed, and will reverse a decade of cuts to economic development and create new jobs in Minnesota. Several initiatives to create jobs and stimulate the economy are included, from job training to financial incentives for businesses. I supported this bill because I have heard from many residents and businesses in our community about the need for job creation to keep Minnesota economically competitive.
The jobs bill goes a long way to help small businesses, and provides Minnesota employers with a $346 million tax cut. This will save employers an average of $150 per employee and is the largest cut of its kind in state history. The bill will also help medium and large employers, and creates three trade offices to complement our current trade office in China. These trade offices help Minnesota businesses bring their products and services to other parts of the world. This is an important way to make sure that Minnesota businesses are able to be successful in today’s changing economy.
Lastly, I want to mention the Tax bill, which I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about this session. I voted against the House bill that came off the floor a few weeks ago because I did not believe that the bill provided enough balance. I heard from many concerned residents and businesses about the bill, and that is why I opposed it. I am hopeful that the final tax bill will provide more government efficiencies.
If you have any questions about the bill, or any other legislative business, I can be reached by phone at 651-296-7803 or by email at rep.paul.rosenthal@house.mn. Please contact me anytime I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Paul Rosenthal