Dear neighbors,
I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend and took time to honor our servicemen and women as well as those who have given their lives to protect the basic freedoms we enjoy every day.
As you likely already know, we wrapped up our work at the State Capitol last week.
DFLers in the House and Senate worked with Governor Dayton to pass a budget that delivers on our promise to eliminate our deficit without relying on gimmicks, pay back the school shift, and expand economic prosperity for middle class, working class, and low-income Minnesotans.
Our budget sets Minnesota up for a bright future by paying for investments in education, job creation, and property tax relief in a way that is responsible and fair.
It’s a budget that opens the doors of opportunity for every student, puts people back to work, and reduces property taxes while maintaining the kind of high-quality services like police officers and firefighters that we depend on every day.
Our budget is a stark contrast from the ‘all-cuts’ approach used by lawmakers over the past decade, which resulted in skyrocketing property tax rates, painful tuition hikes, and overcrowded classrooms.
Thankfully, we’ve turned the page on that era and begun a new chapter of economic growth, educational excellence, and shared prosperity.
EDUCATION:
When we arrived at our State Capitol in early January, we set out to make 2013 the ‘Education Session.” The DFL budget makes good on that promise. It’s a comprehensive plan designed to build the world’s best workforce, close our achievement gap, and provide all learners with the resources and tools that will allow them to reach their full potential.
Our budget funds all-day Kindergarten, provides low-income families with early childhood learning scholarships so they can send their kids to preschool, and invests $234 million in additional funding for the basic K-12 school funding formula, or roughly $156 per pupil. It also follows through on our promise to fully pay back our schools by 2014 through an accelerated repayment plan.
Those historic investments allow us to meet ambitious goals that include fully closing the achievement gap, reaching a 100 percent high school graduation rate, 100 percent literacy by third grade, and 100 percent career and college readiness by graduation.
Our budget also takes serious steps to support Minnesotans currently enrolled in our public colleges and universities. For the first time in over a decade, students will not pay a penny over current tuition levels. After years of cuts to higher education, freezing tuition for University of Minnesota and MnSCU students over the next two years is set to make a big difference in countless lives.
JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Minnesota’s economy is recovering faster than many other states, but we can do even better. That’s why our budget invests in proven strategies to stimulate economic development and put Minnesotans back to work, including:
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$346 million in tax cuts for businesses, or $150 per employee for the average business.
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$30 million for the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) to provide financial incentives such as low-interest loans to out-of-state businesses thinking of setting up shop in Minnesota as well as in-state businesses thinking of expanding.
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$24 million for the Job Creation Fund (JCF) to awards grants to businesses that make a commitment to hire additional employees or make large capital investments.
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$4.6 million for the Minnesota Trade Office to help businesses build relationships overseas and sell goods in foreign markets.
These investments create the kind of well-paying jobs with benefits that give Minnesotans greater economic security and help our communities grow and thrive.
TAX FAIRNESS:
Our budget follows through on our promise to raise new revenue in a way that is fair and progressive.
On the campaign trail last year, voters told us they wanted the wealthiest Minnesotans to pay their fair share to help pay for investments in our children’s education and programs that put people back to work. Our budget gets the job done by closing corporate loopholes and asking the wealthiest two percent of Minnesotans to pay an additional two percent in income taxes.
We also provide significant property tax relief to homeowners and renters. As we all know, middle class Minnesotans have been unfairly squeezed by skyrocketing property tax rates over the past decade. Providing relief means that people will have more money in their pockets to spend on necessities like groceries and gas.
BAN THE BOX:
Lawmakers passed a bill that keeps most employers from asking on job applications whether the individual has ever been arrested or convicted of a crime.
The bill, better known as ‘Ban the Box,’ passed with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle. It’s going to make a positive difference in countless lives for people who have experienced ongoing difficulty in securing a job that allows them to provide for their families.
This issue comes down to making sure businesses consider applicants based on their skills and qualifications, not simply on their past. I’m extremely pleased that we were able to pass this legislation and get it signed into law.
ALL MINNESOTANS CAN MARRY THE PERSON THEY LOVE:
Minnesota became the 12th state to extend the freedom to marry to same-sex couples this session. I proudly voted in support of this historic bill.
The marriage equality bill includes the strongest religious freedom protections of any state that has legalized same-sex marriage. It allows civil marriages for all Minnesotans, like the kind you get at City Hall, and ensures no religious congregation or clergy would be compelled to perform a marriage ceremony that conflicted with their beliefs.
I’m glad Minnesota joined the growing number of states that are moving forward to make sure no one is prohibited from being with the person they love.
In case you missed it, you can click here to watch my speech before the House voted on this historic piece of legislation.
HOMEOWNERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS:
The foreclosure crisis is one of the main reasons our economy went into a tailspin back in 2008. It crushed millions of families’ livelihoods throughout the country, tore neighborhoods apart, and put hard-working Americans out on the street.
In Minnesota, more than 150,000 homeowners have lost their homes to foreclosure since 2006.
Thankfully, we passed legislation known as the ‘Homeowners’ Bill of Rights’ to protect Minnesotans from unfair and unjust lending practices.
The Homeowners Bill of Rights prohibits mortgage companies from pursuing foreclosure while a homeowner is seeking a loan modification, a process known as “dual tracking,” that has resulted in many foreclosures for Minnesotans who were actively working to stay in their homes. It also requires lenders to give homeowners a single point of contact during the foreclosure process, requires mandatory mediation if requested by a borrower, and gives extra protections for our servicemembers.
This is an important step forward that will give greater economic security to families in our state and protect our economy from the disastrous consequences of predatory lending.
MY LEGISLATION:
A number of bills I authored were signed into law this year.
One bill reinstated the amount of absent days for a child receiving child care assistance for which a child care provider may be reimbursed. The cap was set at 10 days in a fiscal year, but my bill increased that amount back to 25 days.
Another bill appropriates $500,000 in funding for the Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM) program, which provides matching savings to help low-wage earners purchase homes, pursue high education, or launch a small business.
THANK YOU:
I want to thank each and every one of you who has been in touch with me this session. It is a privilege to serve as your voice at our State Capitol. If you have any questions about our budget or any other issue, please contact me anytime.
You can reach me by phone at (651) 296-5158, by email at rep.rena.moran@house.mn, or by postal mail at 413 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Together we are stronger!
Sincerely,
Rena Moran
State Representative, District 65A