Dear Neighbors,

As we approach the end of 2019, I want to wish each of you and your families a safe and happy holiday season. I’m particularly grateful for the opportunity to serve our Duluth community in Saint Paul, and thank everyone for their input and dedicated engagement over the past year. As an added treat this holiday season, for the first time in several years (due to the State Capitol’s restoration) a tree is has been installed in the rotunda.

House Transportation Committee Visits Duluth

To truly learn about each region’s unique transportation needs, the House Transportation Committee has held a series of field hearings across the state. Last week, they visited Duluth to learn about our infrastructure needs and vision for the future of transportation in the Northland.

Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Duane Hill, the District 1 Engineer for the department, gave a thorough update on some of our area’s most pressing road and bridge needs including the Twin Ports Interchange (can of worms), the Blatnik Bridge, and the Mission Creek Bridge. There are challenges in delivering funding for these projects, but the longer we wait, the more expensive they ultimately will become.

The committee also discussed the proposed Northern Lights Express which would provide rail service between the Twin Ports and Minneapolis. Rep. Mary Murphy is carrying legislation to invest $4 million for the project, and I’m hopeful our 2020 capital investment bill will include that funding. A passenger rail option would benefit students at our higher education institutions, people traveling between the region for business, and tourists to and from both ends of the line, while reducing the number of cars on the road and helping to curb climate change. Our recent snowfall, which largely halted vehicle traffic into and out of Duluth, also highlighted the benefits of train travel, which is largely unaffected by such weather events.

I thank UMD for hosting the meeting, the committee for their attention to our priorities, and most of all, the community members and local leaders who took the time to attend and share why these investments are so important to our success. WDIO covered the hearing here.

Budget Forecast Shows Positive Balance

Earlier this month Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released the November Economic Forecast, showing a projected positive budget balance of $1.332 billion for the 2020-21 biennium. The state’s budget reserve has also reached the amount targeted in law of $2.359 billion. Each of these numbers represent good news, but the forecast highlighted some significant challenges in the future including a global trade imbalance and a projected slowdown in economic growth. Further, the forecast doesn’t fully account for inflation and when this is factored in, deficits may be on the horizon.

This coming session, exercising caution will be important, as an uncertain economic future could impede our ability to deliver on values like education, health care, transportation, and other items all Minnesotans count on to succeed and prosper.

MMB will announce a revised forecast in February.

Unfortunate Cuts Coming to UMD

Also last week, the University of Minnesota Duluth announced some extensive campus-wide cuts totaling $5.2 million. These include the loss of 29 faculty and staff positions, the College of Liberal Arts and School of Fine Arts being merged, and a variety of other changes and reductions within academic programs, student services, and elsewhere within UMD’s operations. These cuts are deeply concerning for our entire campus community. As the second-largest research university in the state, increased investments in UMD are vitally important to deliver an innovative education with experiential learning opportunities for students.

A major cause of UMD’s financial difficulties is a persistent funding inequity within the University of Minnesota system. I’ll continue to work with the administration, faculty, the Board of Regents, and new U of M President Joan Gabel to determine a path forward which will empower UMD to deliver the high-level of academic excellence which attracts students from across the globe. The Legislature also has a responsibility to adequately fund higher education, and I’ll continue to be part of the solution working toward that at the State Capitol.

I spoke with MPR News about the situation and you can listen to that story here.

Please continue to contact me with any feedback, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you. Again, I wish you and your family a safe, enjoyable holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Jen Schultz
State Representative