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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Sondra Erickson (R)

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Legislative Update from Rep. Sondra Erickson

Friday, March 6, 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Last week, Minnesota Management and Budget released its annual February budget forecast. The report revealed that Minnesota has a budget surplus of $1.5 billion.

The new figure, $1.5 billion, is nearly $200 million more than what was initially projected back in early December. This substantial surplus is further proof that the economy continues to do well as the state takes in tax revenue at higher levels than expected.

I will continue to advocate for returning the surplus to hardworking Minnesotans through tax relief and expect House Republicans to release a tax cut proposal sometime in the coming weeks that propose ways we can ensure more folks keep their hard-earned money. Stay tuned for more details on this next week.

Let’s give this surplus back to the people of Minnesota.

Closing the Achievement Gap

On Friday, I participated in a press conference with Rep. Ron Kresha and others urging DFL leadership to take action to fix the state’s growing achievement gap.

A recent study conducted by the Reserve Bank of Minneapolis found that the state’s achievement gap is among the worst in the entire nation and that disparities are evident across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Sadly, Democrats seem more interested in admiring and talking about this problem instead of actually passing legislation that will fix it.

For decades, we’ve collected data that reveals the unacceptable and immoral gaps in academic performance between white students and students of color. This is an urgent and serious problem that demands the legislature’s full and immediate attention. House Republicans have introduced several bills that will help tackle this problem and we stand ready and willing to work with DFLers to ensure our education system works for all students.

Staying in Touch

I enjoy hearing and learning from students and encourage local students to spend a day shadowing me in St. Paul like Amber did.

Please be sure to reach out to me to share any thoughts, questions, or concerns you may have related to state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-6746 or via email at rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn.

Have a great weekend,

Sondra