Dear Neighbor,
Greetings and best wishes for a happy and safe Independence Day weekend. I hope you are able to spend extra time in the company of friends and loved ones the next few days as we celebrate our great nation.
As for news from the Capitol, Gov. Mark Dayton increased the pay of around 30 agency heads by as much as $42,500 apiece on July 1, adding up to approximately $800,000 overall.
The governor first provided the raises in January, but the Legislature stopped them from taking effect. Dayton had a one-day window to re-institute the raises and we were hoping he would re-think his action. Commissioners already make six-figure incomes and now they are getting raises which amount to more than many people earn in a full year. These workers may very well deserve increases, but what the governor did is excessive.
The new fiscal year began July 1 and, with it, a number of other changes went into effect. This includes funding increases for nursing homes, education and newly available funding to help small cities conduct roadwork.
The changes reflect legislative action taken earlier this year with split power at the Capitol. I strongly supported legislation which passed providing $138 million more for nursing homes, strongly assisting homes in Greater Minnesota as many facilities face significant budgetary challenges.
Nursing homes play a significant role in the economy in parts of the state like ours. One problem we are seeing is the difficulty in attracting and keeping workers in this industry and the action we took this year will help improve the wages of care providers and provide a long-term solution to statewide nursing home needs.
A highlight in transportation changes is $12.5 million in road and bridge aid for the state’s smallest cities that do not receive County State-Aid Highway funding. It is one component which passed into law from a more comprehensive transportation plan House Republicans proposed this year. We will look to revisit the issue of transportation funding in 2016, including a bill I authored to dedicate existing tax revenue being paid on purchases of auto parts toward roads and bridges.
As for education, an additional $525 million in K-12 funding will create a better balance between rural and metro schools. Extra dollars also were added for the purpose of maintaining facilities to help our schools with the upkeep of school buildings. Other important provisions for Greater Minnesota include early-learning programs and improvements in the teacher licensure process will help address the teacher shortage that’s affecting Greater Minnesota.
Click here for a complete rundown of new laws provided by nonpartisan House staff.
Good luck and have a good Independence Day,
Jeff