Legislature Passes Bipartisan Budget to End 2015 Regular Legislative Session
St. Paul, MINN—On Monday, May 18th, the legislature adjourned, sending a comprehensive $41.5 billion budget to Governor Dayton that increases funding for education, prioritizes aging adults' quality of life and protects middle class Minnesotans from tax increases.
"This was a session for Greater Minnesota priorities," said Rep. Debra Kiel (R-Crookston). "We put more money into education and worked toward equitable E-12 funding for rural school districts, we prioritized funding care centers to protect aging Minnesotans' quality of life, and we kept government spending in line with family budgets. But if that's not enough, House Republicans also stopped the gas tax which would have hurt middle class folks and people on a fixed income."
The legislature, which ended the regular session on time, passed bipartisan budget bills that will fully fund state government over the next two years. Highlights include:
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$400 million more for education funding
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$60 million for pre-k initiatives including early learning scholarships
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$138 million in additional funding to provide financial stability for nursing homes and improve aging Minnesotans' quality of life and quality of care
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$17 million for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs to fund statewide veterans' homes
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Additional oversight of government agencies to find cost savings and efficiencies
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Additional tools to eliminate waste and illegal payments for public benefit programs to protect taxpayers
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$12.5 million for small cities road and bridge improvements
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Tuition relief for Minnesota's college students
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Additional funding for state agencies to stop the spread of avian flu which has devastated the state's poultry industry
These budget bills have been sent to Governor Mark Dayton for signature.
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State Rep. Deb Kiel serves District 1B, which includes the counties of Pennington, Polk, and Red Lake. She can be reached at rep.deb.kiel@house.mn, 651-296-5091, or 537 State Office Building, 100 MLK Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.