Dear neighbors,
The 2014 Legislative Session began this week. I’m looking forward to work with you to continue to move the state forward and build on the progress we made in 2013.
As we kick off this year’s Session, we have many reasons to be optimistic about the direction our state is heading. We accomplished many great things last session – from All-day K, college tuition freeze, job creation measures, and direct property tax relief among them.
Last session started with a $600 million deficit and we owed $800 million to Minnesota Schools that we had previously borrowed from them. The legislature passed a balanced budget, paid back our schools in full, and provided property tax relief. As a result, our employers created over 45,000 jobs last year, dropping our unemployment rate to 4.6% - the lowest it’s been in six years.
On Friday, we learned that Minnesota has a budget surplus of $1.23 billion. This is great news for Minnesotans and proof of the progress we made in 2013 and continue to make. It’s astounding to learn that in just one year, our state went from having a deficit to having a significant surplus. Minnesota is moving forward and making progress, but now we need to focus on growing and strengthening our middle class.
Providing middle-class tax relief through federal tax conformity and repealing some business-to-business taxes – including the warehouse tax, farm equipment tax, and the telecommunications equipment tax – has drawn broad bipartisan support. We need to refocus how best to balance our budget to support and grow our middle class.
Legislators will also be working on passing a robust bonding bill. Since bonding bills require a three-fifths majority, the bill will need broad bipartisan support. As one of the leading authors on the bonding bill, it is important for all legislators to come together to create a bonding bill that will benefit Minnesotans across the state. Such projects include funding for several projects and renovations at our state colleges and universities to provide better learning facilities and opportunities for our students.
Another priority this session is the increase the minimum wage. Minnesota currently has a minimum wage of $6.15, while the federal minimum wage is set at $7.25. There are only two states that have a minimum wage lower than in Minnesota. We need to raise the minimum wage to support hard working Minnesotans. Increasing the minimum wage will put more money in the pockets of working Minnesotans across the state for them to spend in their communities, boosting our statewide economy. It’s time to make work pay again and give Minnesotans more economic security.
Finally, Governor Dayton has called the 2014 legislative session the “Unsession” to focus on reforming state government to get rid of unnecessary and redundant. By eliminating some of these outdated laws we will make our government more efficient, faster and simpler for taxpayers.
Please stay in touch during this year’s Legislative Session by sharing any questions, comments or other feedback. You can reach me by phone at (651) 296-4255 or by email at rep.lyndon.carlson@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Representative Lyndon Carlson