To the editor of the Montgomery Messenger:
Last week, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) released some positive news about our state’s economy.
Minnesota employers added 12,200 jobs during the month of August. Thanks to those job gains, we’ve recovered all the jobs lost during the recession and our unemployment rate fell to a seasonally adjusted 5.1 percent—the lowest level since April 2008.
Job gains show that Minnesota’s economy is healthy and growing. However, more must be done to put Minnesotans back to work.
One of my top priorities for the 2014 legislative session is to help pass a bipartisan bonding bill designed to repair and improve Minnesota’s roads, bridges, and schools. Those kinds of shovel-ready projects put people to work and build the kind of strong, long-lasting infrastructure needed for even more economic growth.
Another priority of mine for 2014 is an increase in Minnesota’s minimum wage, which has not been raised since 2005. While the cost of goods like gas and groceries have increased, wages have remained flat. By boosting wages, Minnesota’s workforce will have more income to pay the monthly rent or mortgage payment and buy goods from local businesses. The result is a stronger, more stable, and more prosperous economy that grows thanks to a thriving middle class.
While I am hopeful our state legislature will move forward on these priorities next year, it’s important to remember the positive things we accomplished this past legislative session, such as investments in Minnesota’s students that grow our economy over the long-haul.
For example, our new state budget is already having a positive impact on students attending Tri-City United Public Schools. This year, funding for students in Montgomery, Lonsdale, and Le Center increased by over $215,000, or $117 per student. Next year, funding will increase by over $850,000, or $451 per student. Those resources will help cut class sizes and give our learners the tools needed for academic success.
Our new state budget also makes smart investments in our youngest learners. 8,000 additional families are eligible for scholarships to help send their kids to preschool. And starting in 2014, every child in Minnesota will have access to all-day Kindergarten free of charge.
As a former educator who taught for 30 years, I am confident these investments in our students will build the highly-educated workforce we need to attract and retain major employers and keep our state competitive in an increasingly global economy.
There are more and more signs that Minnesota’s economy is healthy and growing. I think that’s something we can all be proud of.
If I can be of assistance in any matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me by phone at (651) 296-0171, by email at rep.david.bly@house.mn, or by postal mail at 559 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Sincerely,
David Bly
State Representative, District 20B