ST. PAUL, MN – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the conference committee reports on the Omnibus Higher Education Finance Bill and Omnibus Health and Human Services Finance Bill. State Representatives Mary Sawatzky (DFL – Willmar) supported both pieces of legislation.
The higher education bill includes $250 million in funding that will directly benefit students by freezing tuition at both the University of Minnesota (U of M) and the Minnesota State Colleges and University system (MnSCU), including Ridgewater College. It also contains $74.5 million in additional funding for the State Grant Program.
“By 2018, 70 percent of all jobs in Minnesota will require some form of post-secondary education,” said Rep. Sawatzky. “We have to make sure that our colleges and universities are accessible and affordable if we want our young people, our economy, and our state to succeed.”
The bill also includes new reforms to expand the oversight function of the legislature. They are designed to better hold the U of M and MnSCU accountable for budgeting practices that have come under fire for high administrative costs and excessive compensation for top administrators.
The Omnibus Health and Human Services Bill makes $50 million in reductions to the health and human services budget while protecting core services to the vulnerable and increasing funding for nursing homes by 5 percent. It also increases the rate for long-term care providers by 1 percent while also repealing a 1.67 percent cut scheduled to take effect in July. Health and human services is the fastest growing area of the state budget.
“After a decade of cuts and four years of wage freezes for nursing home providers, this increased funding is desperately needed,” said Rep. Sawatzky. “Our seniors and nursing homes are a vital part of our communities and they deserve our support.”
The conference committee report also contains a bill chief authored by Rep. Sawatzky to help expand dental services for low-income Minnesotans. The budget provides new sources of funding for the Intensive Residential Treatment Service program in Willmar — also known as the Behavioral Health Hospital.
It does not include the increased hospital surcharge included in the bill that passed off the House floor in April.
“It’s clear that good dental health is directly related to your health in general so it’s important that all Minnesotans have access to dental care,” added Sawatzky. “Keeping the Intensive Residential Treatment Service program open in our area is great news. It does great work and helps a lot of people in our area and our state.”
Finally, the House failed to pass a Capital Investment Bill — also known as bonding. The bill needed a super majority of 81 votes, requiring bipartisan support. Only three Republicans voted in favor of the bill.
The bill included $1.6 million for Ridgewater College in Willmar for phase two of the campus’ central heating system, $1.5 million for a 5 mile extension of the Glacier Lake State Trail from New London to Sibley State Park, and a $550,000 grant to the Kandiyohi Area Transit Joint Powers Board for an additional bus storage garage in Willmar. The proposal also contained $20 million for local bridges, $25 million for local roads, and another $25 million for wastewater infrastructure throughout the state.
“It’s terribly disappointing that we’re missing this opportunity to improve our crumbling infrastructure, help our businesses and communities, and put people to work,” said Rep. Sawatzky. “I’ll continue doing all that I can to find common ground and pass a bonding bill in the future.”
Rep. Sawatzky encourages constituents to contact her with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas on any legislative topic. Rep. Sawatzky can be reached by phone at 651-296-6206 or by email at rep.mary.sawatzky@house.mn. Constituents can also visit Rep. Sawatzky’s AreaVoices blog, legislative page and sign up for email updates.