Dear Neighbors,
The 2016 Minnesota Legislative Session begins next week onTuesday, March 8. With construction continuing on the State Capitol as part of a massive, multiyear restoration, the length of this session will be shorter than normal, expected to last just about 10 weeks.
I hope you will join me for a Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, April 2 at 1:00 p.m. at Shoreview City Hall. We’ll discuss the state budget, including the numbers, how the processes work to determine those numbers, and the various areas contained in it. I’ll host the meeting along with Sen. Bev Scalze and Rep. Jason Isaacson and we are pleased that Myron Frans, Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), will join us to share his knowledge and insight on this topic.
What: Town Hall Meeting to discuss the Minnesota state budget
Who: Rep. Barb Yarusso, Rep. Jason Isaacson, Sen. Bev Scalze, Commissioner Myron Frans
When: Saturday, April 2 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Where: Shoreview City Hall (Council Chambers), 4600 Victoria St. N, Shoreview, 55126
This should be an engaging, informative discussion. The event is free and open to the public. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 651-296-0141.
Budget Forecast
Speaking of the state budget, MMB released the February Economic Forecast on Friday which projected a state budget surplus of $900 million for the remainder of the 2016-2017 fiscal years. This is a downward projection from the $1.2 billion projected back in November. Reasons for the new, lower number include slowing economic growth in the U.S. due to factors ranging from weakened oil related investments and lower growth in tax receipts due to stagnant incomes. Note that this is still good news, since it is still a large projected surplus over the original budget.
While our unemployment rate is low and the state budget is largely stable, we should continue to work to build upon an economy that works for all Minnesotans. We can accomplish this through investments in transportation (which include transit and increasing opportunities to bike and walk), early childhood education, minimizing tuition increases at our state colleges and universities and providing relief from the student debt crisis, and lowering property taxes for our homeowners, renters and seniors. We should also fund improvements to our state infrastructure, especially in the areas of transportation, affordable housing, higher education institutions and clean water.
Recently, there has been growing attention paid to the problem of high unemployment in some Minnesota communities. Many other hardworking Minnesotans struggle to support their families due to low wages in some sectors. I will join others in seeking effective ways to address these problems.
The Legislature: Its People and the Process
Nonpartisan House Public Information Services recently released an informative video which explains some of the basics of how the legislative process works titled “The Legislature: Its People and the Process.” The video contains useful information such as: a description of the three branches of state government, who makes up the House and Senate, how committees and floor sessions work, and the bill process.
You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe_DnIRf-PI. Also, I encourage you to take advantage of the many valuable resources House Info provides throughout the year including live video of House floor and committee proceedings, coverage of press conferences and other special events, educational materials, and Session Daily, a newsletter frequently emailed out with timely information about legislative happenings. You can sign up for Session Daily here:http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/subscribesw.asp.
As always, I encourage you to email me atrep.barb.yarusso@house.mn or call me at 651-296-0141 with any comments or questions, or if I can ever be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Barb Yarusso
State Representative