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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL)

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Rep. Poppe Praises 2013 Session for Focus on Education, Jobs, and Property Tax Relief

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

ST. PAUL, MN – The 2013 Legislative Session adjourned on May 20, finishing on time with an honestly-balanced budget that pays for investments in education, property tax relief, and job creation. Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL—Austin) praised the Legislature for delivering on promises to create economic prosperity for middle class Minnesotans.

“I’m proud of what we accomplished this year,” said Rep. Poppe. “We passed a responsible, honest budget that puts people back to work and provides every child with a high-quality education. It’s going to make a positive difference for people of all ages throughout Minnesota.”

The Legislature accomplished key goals, including:

  • Balancing the Budget without Gimmicks: A decade of deep budget cuts and dishonest shifts and gimmicks caused Minnesota to lurch from one budget crisis to the next, limiting our ability to adequately fund education and other crucial priorities. This session, the DFL budget put an end to roller-coaster deficits by using a fair, honest approach that finally puts Minnesota on sound fiscal footing while paying for investments to build a stronger middle class.
     
  • Accelerating Pay Back of Our Schools: The previous legislature borrowed $2.4 billion from our schools. The DFL plan will accelerate a plan to pay back Minnesota’s schools and fully pay them back by 2014.
     
  • Making Historic Investments in Education: The DFL budget pays for a historic $725 million in education for all learners. This kind of commitment to our students will help restore equity in our K-12 schools and lower tuition and debt for our college students and their parents.
     
  • Creating Jobs: The DFL budget pays for $89 million in proven strategies that create good jobs such as job training, workforce development, and low-interest business loans.
     
  • Fairer Taxes for Middle Class Minnesotans: Over the past decade, lawmakers squeezed the middle class in order to protect the wealthiest Minnesotans. The DFL budget reverses that trend by paying for $400 million in property tax relief for middle class Minnesotans. The budget covers those costs and other invesments by asking the wealthiest 2 percent of Minnesotans and big corporations to pay their fair share.
     
  • Support for Minnesota’s Agriculture Economy: The DFL budget provides significant support for farmers and Minnesota’s ag-economy. It pays for over $1.4 million in additional funding for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and strengthens economic growth in rural communities through Minnesota’s Agriculture Growth, Research and Innovation (AGRI) fund.

    In addition, the budget extends the lifespan of the Minnesota Agriculture Leadership Council (MAELC), which provides grants for high school agriculture programs and scholarships for college students enrolled in agriculture programs. It also includes reforms that expand Minnesota’s biofuel industry and extends the Farmer-Lender Mediation Act sunset date to June 30, 2016

“It’s a plan designed to grow the middle class and give us all greater economic security,” said Rep. Poppe. “Minnesotans should be happy with the results this budget creates.”

Rep. Poppe encourages her constituents to contact her with any questions or comments. She can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4193, by email at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn, or by postal mail at 487 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.