Dear Neighbors,
I hope you have enjoyed the first half of summer. After the challenges our entire state has faced over the last year, it’s great to finally get back to enjoying everything Minnesota has to offer along with family and friends.
In June, lawmakers worked together to pass a bipartisan agreement on a new state budget. The budget will help workers, students, families, and small businesses recover from the pandemic, and thrive well into the future. Here are some highlights.
Historic Investments in Education
As an educator and as a parent, I’ve seen firsthand how difficult the last year has been for Minnesota students. They deserve all the tools necessary in the classroom to succeed to their full potential. The bipartisan E-12 Education budget contains historic investments in Minnesota students. The budget increases the per pupil funding formula by 2.45 percent this coming year and another 2 percent the following year, a strong investment that will help students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget also protects voluntary pre-K programming, addresses school districts’ special education and English learner cross-subsidies, and invests in strategies to recruit more teachers of color and American Indian teachers. Our higher education budget delivers key funding for the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State systems, as well as an increase to the State Grant program that will positively impact more than 75,000 students.
Minnesota students, teachers, and families experienced tremendous difficulties during the pandemic. All Minnesota children deserve a quality education from cradle to career, and our bipartisan education agreement makes big investments to help all of our students realize their full potential.
Tax Cuts for Workers, Businesses, and Families
Many workers and small businesses experienced sudden turmoil when COVID-19 arrived. Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, Minnesota received the funding to both provide targeted tax cuts to workers and small businesses and fund our priorities in order to build out of the pandemic quickly. For workers who struggled over the past year, our bipartisan Taxes bill exempts pandemic unemployment insurance from state income taxes, and similarly exempts Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan proceeds struggling businesses received. In another measure to help frontline workers who have sacrificed their health to keep us safe during the pandemic, the bill has $250 million worth of financial support for these heroes.
Protecting a Prosperous Future on the Iron Range
Now that the Minnesota DNR’s action to pull the mineral leases from Mesabi Metallics at the former Essar Steel site in Nashwauk is complete, it’s time to put this chapter and its numerous false starts, broken promises, and headaches behind us. I’m proud our Environment and Natural Resources budget included a provision I chief authored to protect permits at the site to more effectively facilitate a new, proven operator taking control of the site.
I’m thankful for the DNR and state Executive Council’s actions giving us the opportunity to leave Essar behind us. This legislation is a strong example of DFLers stepping up to deliver real results for the Iron Range, and we will continue to push for a company with a demonstrated track record to operate in Nashwauk, as well as other opportunities to create jobs in the mining industry.
For more information on the budget legislation lawmakers passed, House Public Information Services has nonpartisan recaps available here:
Please continue to contact me with your input, ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you.
Together,
Julie Sandstede
State Representative