Dear Neighbor,
There are a few things I’d like to update you on that have been happening at the Capitol.
Republicans Vote to Lower Wages for Workers
Last night the Republicans in the Minnesota House voted to lower wages for working Minnesotans. The Tip Penalty bill, authored by Rep. Pat Garfalo (R-Farmington), would reduce wages for thousands of waiters, waitresses and other tipped employees. At a time when working families are having a hard time getting ahead, we shouldn’t be making it even harder by cutting their wages. Here is a statement I released to the press on this:
“We shouldn’t be taking money out of the pockets of workers, especially those who rely on tips to survive. Two thirds of tipped employees are women, half of whom are over thirty and already working to support themselves on pay that’s less than what men earn. When you combine that with the fact that many of these women are working to support families, it doesn’t make any sense to single them out and take money out of their pockets.
“We shouldn’t be making it any harder for Minnesotans to earn a living wage. We reward people for hard work and make sure they have opportunities to get ahead. The tip penalty is bad for our economy and it’s bad for the people of Minnesota who are working and raising families.”
Republican Budget Targets Released
Tuesday, House GOP members released their “targets” for the next budget cycle. The proposal prioritizes tax cuts for corporate special interests at the expense of Minnesota kids, workers, and or most vulnerable.
The Republican plan would cut taxes by $2 billion and likely benefit big corporate interests.
Despite a $1.9 billion surplus, the Republican budget calls for less than a 1% increase in education and higher education, denying needed investments in early learning and E-12 education. After freezing tuition over the last two years, the budget would mean tuition increases and a continuation of Minnesota’s student debt crisis. In the Republican budget, for every $1 that goes to education they cut taxes by $15!
And despite our surplus, the Republican budget would cut more than $1 billion from health care services for Minnesota workers, seniors, and our most vulnerable. In addition, millions are cut from job expansion efforts, the environment and capital improvement projects across the state.
While Minnesota’s economy is thriving and unemployment is very low, we should be working to create more opportunity for all Minnesotans, not just catering to a few special interests. And we shouldn’t revert to outdated budgeting that drove us into years of budget deficit cycles.
As more details emerge on the Republican budget plan I will let you know. I will be pushing for a more balanced approach that puts our kids, workers, and vulnerable Minnesotans first.
As always, feel free to contact me with your thoughts at (651) 296-4277 or respond to this email.
Sincerely,
Tim Mahoney