Dear Neighbor,
The Governor unveiled his budget priorities recently, focusing heavily on education and transportation investments. Governor Dayton’s budget includes:
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investing in PreK-12 education to give schools the flexibility to address local issues.
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providing 31,000 four-year-olds access to free, high-quality PreK learning opportunities.
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investing $250 million to make higher education more affordable for hundreds of thousands of students.
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expanding the Child and Dependent Care Credit, making child care more affordable for 130,000 families.
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expanding broadband across Greater Minnesota.
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providing tax cuts for working Minnesotans, delivering property tax relief for seniors, simplifying business taxes, closing corporate tax loopholes, and modernizing railroad property taxes.
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investing $6 billion over the next ten years to address the state’s highway funding deficit and providing $2.92 billion for transit systems across Minnesota.
More detailed information on Governor Dayton’s budget is available here. The Governor's budget proposal is the starting off point for budget negotiations between the legislative and executive branch. I am pleased the Governor has prioritized education and transportation, and I will be advocating for a reasonable approach to spending and tax relief in this year’s budget.
You have repeatedly told me as we have met, talked, and emailed, that education is a top priority. I am pleased to report that I have been appointed by the Speaker of the House to the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership. This organization is made up of the statewide education groups in Minnesota, plus others from government, business, and the private sector with the goal of maximizing the achievements for all students—from preschool through elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education— while promoting the efficient use of financial and human resources. You can find out more information here.
Pictured here with the Eden Prairie Early Childhood Advisory Council
There has been a great deal of discussion at the Capitol and in the media about the proper role and scope of the Metropolitan Council. Legislation has been introduced in this area. The Speaker of the House and Chair Sanders of the Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee have appointed me to the newly formed Subcommittee on Metropolitan Council Accountability and Transparency, and I will keep you updated on our progress in committee.
The House and Senate recently passed legislation on tax conformity which the Governor signed into law last week. This bill will make it easier for Minnesotans to file their taxes by conforming the state tax code to federal tax code. This makes a variety of tax breaks available at the state level.
The Jewish Community's Seeds of Justice Youth Group with me at the Capitol
A visit with Hartfiel Manufacturing
Meeting with the various groups in our community is a top priority for me. In the last several weeks I have met with numerous individuals, organizations, and businesses, including the Jewish Community Action's youth group Seeds of Justice, and the wonderful folks at Hartfiel Manufacturing, both pictured above.
It was also an honor to speak at the New American Academy's annual dinner. You can view my speech at the event here.
Finally, I always like to share good news about Minnesota. Each year, the publication
Politico compares and ranks all of the states across the nation on per capita income, low unemployment, poverty, home ownership, education, life expectancy, infant mortality, obesity and crime rates.
Minnesota moved up to #1 this year, tying New Hampshire, on these measures. Read the full article
here.
Please let me know if you have a group, organization, or business you would like me to meet. I welcome your thoughts and comments. As always, thank you for the honor of being your voice in St. Paul.
Best,
Yvonne Selcer
State Representative