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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL)

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2013 Session Update

Monday, January 28, 2013

January 28, 2013

 

Dear friends,

Things are gearing up at the Capitol and I wanted to provide you with a brief update.

Governor’s Budget Proposal

Last week the governor has unveiled his 2013-2014 budget proposals.  Our state faces a $1.1 billion budget shortfall and owes schools an additional $1.1 billion due to borrowing from the previous legislature.  The Governor’s budget aims to structurally balance the budget, improve education and increase economic opportunity for middle-class families.

Key budget proposals include expanding early childhood education, increasing K-12 funding by $52 per student and investing $80 million in the Minnesota State Grant Program (helping an additional 5,000 Minnesotans to receive a college education).

There is also a large property tax relief component, part of which provides a $500 direct property tax rebate to homeowners.  Keeping more money in the pockets of middle-class homeowners will boost job creation and economic growth throughout the state.  As Chair of the House Property and Local Tax Division, I look forward to working with Governor Dayton to provide much-needed property tax relief to Minnesota families and small businesses.

While there is more to learn about the governor’s proposal, I think it is a good starting point to the discussion.  In the last nine out of eleven years Minnesota has faced a budget deficit.  This proposal streamlines the system and I think that’s long overdue.  It’s time for a new approach to the budget—an approach that is honest, fiscally responsible and does not include borrowing, shifts or gimmicks.

Legislative Commission on Minnesota Sports Facilities

I have been appointed to the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Sports Facilities.  This commission was formed as part of the 2012 Vikings stadium legislation and will oversee the financial management of the Vikings stadium construction and operations, and potentially other public professional sports and entertainment venues in the state.  I am looking forward to working to ensure that taxpayers and the City of Minneapolis are getting the best deal possible and in a transparent and accountable way.

As many of us feared last year during the stadium debate the gambling expansion that is intended to fund the state’s portion of the stadium is currently falling short.  Tax revenue from the games has returned only $17.2 million since their September install, falling $18 million short of projected revenues.  Part of the commission’s task will be to find adequate funding should the pull-tab devices continue to fall short of projections.  Last year’s Vikings stadium bill allows for the imposition of personal seat licenses and other non-tax stadium revenues to fill this gap.  I certainly do not think that Minneapolis taxpayers should be asked to pick up any more of the cost of the new Vikings stadium.  I continue to believe that those who use and benefit from the stadium should pay, an argument that did not prevail last year.

We need to make sure that the new Vikings stadium is state-of-the-art, attracts a national audience and promotes the state as a destination.  Currently each sports and entertainment venue in Minnesota is funded separately, operated separately, and competes with all the other publically funded venues.   It is a big priority of mine to investigate how we can better coordinate Minnesota sports facilities so that we can have both a strong sports sector and get the best return on public investments for taxpayers.

Congressman Keith Ellison Gun Violence Prevention Meeting

Please join Congressman Ellison for a Gun Violence Prevention Town Hall Forum this Thursday, January 31 from 5:30-7:30pm.  The forum is free and open to the public.  It will be held at Temple Israel, 2324 Emerson Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55405.


Please contact me with your input on the Governor’s budget proposal and any other legislative issues.  My office door in St. Paul is always open, or you can reach me by phone at (651) 296-0173 or by email at rep.jim.davnie@house.mn. You can also follow me on Twitter at @jdavnie and follow the Property Tax Committee at @mnproptaxes

I also encourage you to sign up to receive Session Weekly, a nonpartisan publication of Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services.  It is no longer available in print but you can sign up to receive the weekly electronic updates here: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/subscribesw.asp.

 

Thank you for the honor of serving you at the State House.

Sincerely, 


Jim Davnie 
State Representative 
District 63A