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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Peggy Bennett (R)

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Legislative News from Rep. Peggy Bennett

Friday, May 27, 2022

Dear Friends,

 

Have you ever seen a little kid who has been gifted money and that money just burns in the child’s pocket with the need to spend it? Well, that about sums up the 2022 legislative session in my mind. 

 

Last year, the Minnesota Legislature increased our two-year state budget by over nine percent from the previous biennium, a significant increase. In this non-budget year, because of the huge projected surplus, House Democrats want to increase that state budget with an additional $5 billion in new spending. 

 

This would set a new state record for government growth in Minnesota: a two-year spending increase of more than 15 percent. I want nothing to do with that kind of state record. 

 

Has your family budget increased by nine percent?  How about 15 percent?  I don’t think so. 

 

We are in a time when record inflation is absolutely crippling Minnesotans. Gasoline prices are inching up toward $5 a gallon and food and energy costs are skyrocketing. It’s difficult for many just to keep food on the table and pay their bills. 

 

Yet government has the audacity and arrogance to charge forward and attempt a FIFTEEN PERCENT spending increase?  That is incredibly out of touch with reality. 

 

Keep in mind that this record spending increase would be on top of the $80 billion in federal COVID dollars that poured into our state over the past two years. Even Minnesota schools received almost $3 billion of that federal funding. That is in addition to the half billion increase schools received in last year’s state budget. 

 

Not all of the supplemental spending proposals were bad. There were a number of good provisions such as addressing special education funding issues for schools and increased mental health programming. However, these items should wait until the 2023 budget year when we will have a better handle on the direction of our economy.  

 

Remember, this entire state surplus is projected. It’s not sitting in the bank somewhere. It could disappear in an instant with an economic downturn – but any new spending won’t disappear. 

 

One extremely time sensitive crisis that should have been funded, but was notably excluded in the House Democrat’s budget bills, is the nursing home and disability home staffing crises. Staffing for many of these homes is down 30 percent and many are on the brink of closing. There is no excuse for not funding an emergency like this and risk putting these vulnerable people out on the streets. 

 

Another important issue is ending the tax on Social Security income. This is something I strongly support and was included in the supplemental tax bill. Unfortunately, that tax bill was held back by the House majority until their spending initiatives were passed and so it never came up for a vote. 

 

Even had the tax bill been brought forward, supporting it would have been difficult knowing it came with a price tag of $5 billion in permanent, ongoing spending for our state - spending that could very well force us into a deficit next year. 

 

Session ended with very few of these supplemental budget bills coming forward for a vote. I do not see that as a bad thing. Five billion dollars in additional spending – and putting Minnesotans on the hook for billions in future spending - would potentially set our state and its people up for a world of hurt. That’s not something anyone wants. 

 

I am disappointed that a bonding agreement was never reached. Senator Dornink and I worked hard for our local projects and were successful in getting the funding for the Fountain Lake dredging project included. However, the entire bonding agreement fell through at the last hour. It was never brought to the floor for a vote. I hope we can address that in the future. 

 

Many indicators are pointing to a coming recession for our state and nation.  Even in our current economy, non-partisan government finance experts say that $4 billion of Minnesota’s projected surplus will already disappear next year. This is a volatile economic time 

 

I am concerned for the people of Minnesota and our state’s economic health, and I am extremely troubled that the policies pushed by Democrat lawmakers are harming both.

 

Money burning in pockets is never a good thing. 

 

I believe the wise thing to do would be to wait until next year to allocate this surplus. State government is fully funded and does not need any more of your money. Waiting until the 2023 session begins would allow lawmakers to get a better grasp on the direction of our economy. If things deteriorate, we have roughly $7 billion to soften the blow. If things improve, we can deliver smart spending along with permanent and record-breaking tax relief to all Minnesotans. That is what our residents not only need but deserve.

 

LOCAL ‘CHAPLAIN FOR THE DAY’ IN MINNESOTA HOUSE

It was a pleasure to have Pastor Randy Cirksena from the United Methodist Church in Ellendale as our guest chaplain for the MN House during one of our last floor sessions. 

 

Pastor Randy gave a great opening prayer.  Thank you!

 

PODIATRY LICENSING LAW CHANGE GOOD NEWS FOR MERCY ONE

This session, I worked on a change to current Minnesota law that will ultimately benefit Mercy One in Albert Lea, their patients, and people around Minnesota who are in need of podiatry services. 

 

Over a year ago, Dr. Edward Henrich, a practicing podiatrist at Mercy One in Iowa, contacted me because an arbitrary date in Minnesota’s podiatry licensure law made it impossible for him to come work at Mercy One in Albert Lea. His heart’s desire was to not only work at the Albert Lea clinic, but to also go into our local nursing homes and help meet residents’ needs there. 


The bill I sponsored makes minor changes to that date. It successfully passed at the very end of our legislative session. This means that Dr. Henrich, will soon be able to come practice at Mercy One in Albert Lea and surrounding nursing homes.  It also opens up more potential to bring additional podiatrists to Minnesota and help, in part, to fill the extreme physician shortage our state is experiencing. 

 

Once the governor signs the bill, the provision will be enacted immediately and Dr. Henrich will be able to work through the Minnesota Board of Podiatric Medicine to enable him to practice in Minnesota. The Board has assured me that they will work with Dr. Henrich to get him licensed in Minnesota as quickly as possible. 

 

Thank you to Albert Lea’s Dr. Bill Buege for his helpful testimony in our committee hearings. He did a great job. Thank you to Jean Eaton and SOH members for rallying the troops to contact the appropriate state level people to bring this issue to light. Thank you, also, to Senator Dornink, for helping push this on the Senate side. It takes a team to get legislation passed, and you all played a part!

 

Have a good weekend,

 

Peggy