Dear neighbors,
Yesterday marked the beginning of the 2014 Legislative Session. I’m honored to serve as your voice at our state capitol and I’m committed to building on the progress Minnesota made in 2013.
Right now, Minnesota is on sound fiscal footing for the first time in years. Thanks to employers who added over 45,000 jobs last year, the hard-working Minnesotans who contribute to our state’s well-being every day, and a new honestly balanced state budget that did not rely on shifts or gimmicks, our state is facing a projected budget surplus of over $800 million.
Our strong financial outlook means we have an opportunity to help individuals, families and businesses who have not yet felt the economic recovery.
To start, I joined my colleagues yesterday in voting for $20 million in additional funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help Minnesotans impacted by the ongoing propane crisis.
In January, the Commerce Department increased LIHEAP Crisis payments from $500 to $1,000 for eligible Minnesotans currently heating their homes with propane and heating oil. In addition, Governor Dayton expanded eligibility requirements to households earning up to 60 percent of the state median income (up from 50 percent).
A projected budget surplus also provides an opportunity to cut taxes for middle class Minnesotans by enacting federal tax conformity, which would make our state tax code simpler and get rid of unnecessary burdens like the so-called “marriage penalty.” Last year, my colleagues and I passed tax conformity legislation in the House, but it was not included in the final state budget. Thanks to a growing economy and our projected surplus, we are in a position to pay for additional middle class tax cuts while maintaining a structurally balanced budget.
I’m also committed to raising the minimum wage to help working Minnesotans provide for themselves and their families. Right now, we have the third lowest wage in the entire country, with the last increase happening nearly a decade ago. During that time, wages did not keep up with increasing costs of things like gas, groceries, housing and other necessities. Increasing the minimum wage will give hardworking Minnesotans more economic security and stability that they need and deserve. It also means consumers will have more money to spend at local businesses, restaurants, and tourism attractions, generating additional benefits for our economy overall.
Another priority I’m focused on this year is creating jobs by passing a strong bipartisan bonding bill that makes much-needed repairs and improvements to state assets like roads, bridges, and buildings at our public colleges and universities.
Please stay in touch during this year’s Legislative Session by sharing your questions, concerns, or any other feedback. 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