Gov. Dayton’s new budget proposal is a refreshing break from the structurally unsound, gimmicky approaches that have dominated Minnesota’s political discussion during the past decade.
Gov. Dayton has placed a renewed emphasis on education. He proposes investing more than 500 million new dollars in Minnesota students. This includes $118 million in additional school aid, $125 million for special education, and $240 million to make college more affordable for all Minnesotans.
The governor’s budget proposal also takes advantage of the federal Affordable Care Act to expand health care coverage to approximately 145,000 low-income Minnesotans—including 47,000 children and pregnant women. Making sure that Minnesotans are among the best educated and healthiest will help ensure our state remains a great place to live in the future.
The budget proposal also reverses painful spending cuts to social services. The Governor’s proposal includes a one percent increase for health and human services. Specifically, the Governor is adding $48.2 million to support high needs children and help Minnesota families. Some of the investments include increased access to quality child care and providing new resources for the Minnesota Family Investment Program, which helps families move from cash assistance to work
The budget that eventually comes out of the legislature will be different than Gov. Dayton’s proposal. However, this proposal provides an honest point of departure for the coming discussion about what investments our state needs to thrive for years to come.
Throughout the session, please feel free to contact me with your ideas, questions, or concerns. You can contact me by telephone: (651) 296-7152, by email rep.susan.allen@house.mn, or send me mail: 577 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
Sincerely,
Susan Allen
State Representative