Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Your opinions are invaluable to me, and I would like to thank the over 400 people who took my 2015 Legislative Survey. Your thoughts and input are helpful as these issues continue to be debated at the Capitol this session.
Some highlights in the survey include the following;
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More than three-quarters of responders oppose Governor Dayton's minimum 16 cent gas tax increase.
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Over 81% believe that a greater portion of the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax should be dedicated to our roads and bridges than is currently being allocated.
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Additionally, only seven percent of people believe that Minnesota's $1.9 billion surplus should be used to increase government spending. Instead, most prefer some combination of returning it to taxpayers, paying down the debt or saving it in the reserves.
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A large number of people believe that Hwy 8 needs to be expanded to four lanes between Forest Lake and Chisago City. I believe this should happen as well for safety reasons, in addition to reasons related to long-term economic development.
As a member of the Higher Education Committee, I found it interesting that 63 percent of people believe our colleges and universities can lower student tuition if they managed their resources more efficiently. I agree. University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler testified in front of our House Higher Education Committee on Wednesday of this week, and I again urged him to eliminate the subsidy that non-residents have received since 2011 to attend the U of M.
Additionally, I pointed out to him that a $4,000 increase in non-resident tuition (which would provide around $20 million in revenue to the University to help keep tuition flat for Minnesota students) would still allow them to have the second lowest non-resident undergraduate tuition in the entire Big 10 conference. I hope that President Kaler will take my advice.
The full legislative survey results are as follows:
Question #1 - Governor Dayton has proposed a new gas tax which would result in a minimum 16 cent increase in the price of gasoline. This tax increases as the wholesale price increases. Do you support making this change?
Yes 16.8%
No 77.9%
Undecided 5.3%
Question #2 - Existing law mandates that no more than 60% of the motor vehicle sales tax can be used for roads and bridges, and no less than 40% can be used for transit. Would you support a change in state law regarding the percentage of the motor vehicle sales tax being allocated to fund roads vs. public transit?
Yes, 100 percent of the motor vehicle sales tax should be used for roads and bridges 45.4%
Yes, 80 percent…should be used for road and bridge repair and 20% to transit 35.7%
No 14.5%
Undecided 4.5%
Question #3 - The February forecast projected a $1.9 billion surplus for Minnesota's 2016-17 budget. What should the legislature do with this surplus?
*Please note, some gave multiple answers (such as keep it in reserves AND pay down state debt) which are reflected in the answers.
Increase Spending 6.8%
Return it to Taxpayers 38.7%
Pay Down State Debt 34.5%
Keep it in the Reserves 20.1%
Question #4 - Currently in tight budgeting times, K-12 school districts make layoff decisions based on teacher seniority, with the last teacher hired being the first one let go. Some advocate that schools should also consider teacher effectiveness in those decisions. Do you support making this change?
Yes 75.8%
No 17.0%
Undecided 7.2%
Question #5 - What is the best approach for addressing the problems with the Obamacare exchange (MNsure) in Minnesota?
It isn't working, repeal it entirely 45.6%
It can be fixed by enacting significant reforms 20.2%
It's working, keep as it is currently 12.3%
Give Minnesotans more options outside of MNsure 21.8%
Question #6 - Should the legislature work with higher education institutions including the University of Minnesota to reduce student tuition?
No, tuition costs are not a problem 8.3%
Yes, we can accomplish this by increasing state funding to higher ed 4.8%
Yes, we can accomplish this if public universities manage their resources more efficiently 62.7%
Yes, we can accomplish this by providing additional state funding and asking colleges to use their existing resources more efficiently 24.3%
Question #7 - Which of the following transportation projects in Chisago County do you support? Select all that apply.
* Please note that the results from this question add up to more than 100% because more than one answer was allowed. The percentage listed is based on the number of people who answered the question. The average survey respondent picked at least two projects that they felt needed to be completed.
* The most often mentioned project listed when the “other” box was checked was improving County Road 30 south of North Branch and north of Stacy.
Upgrade/replace bridge in Stacy over I-35 17.4%
Upgrade County Road 30 north of North Branch 17.4%
New interchange on I-35…..for access to North Branch industrial park 13.9%
Add truck bypass to relieve traffic around Taylors Falls 31.3%
Expand Hwy 8 to four lanes between Forest Lake and Chisago City 46.3%
Improve township roads in Chisago County 48.8%
Other 17.2%
None of the Above 6.5%
Again, thank you to everyone who took the time to take my 2015 Legislative Survey.
As always, if I can ever be of assistance to you or your family on a matter of state government, I welcome you to contact my office. It's a privilege to represent the people of Chisago County.
Sincerely,
Bob