Just late last week, the House Republican majority unveiled their proposal for a public works bill, which contains $825 million toward infrastructure projects. This contracts with Gov. Dayton who delivered his proposal prior to session starting, and totaled $1.5 billion of investments throughout the state.
The Republican House and Senate majorities have both passed their respective supplemental budget and tax bills, and they’re going to have to not only reconcile all of their differences, but agree to something Governor Dayton will sign. While the way things currently stand will likely lead to a flurry of activity in the final days, I’m hopeful we can work something out in these final two weeks. In the end, my top priority will be to ensure that the needs of our community are met and the values of hard-working Minnesotans are at the forefront.
Emergency Education Aid
We’re proud of the great schools we have in Minnesota, but we keep asking them to do more with less. School districts across the state, including St. Paul Public Schools, are grappling with huge budget deficits. These may result in teacher layoffs, cuts to support staff, diminished programming, larger class sizes and more, which all put the quality education we’ve come to count on in Minnesota at risk. In response, Gov. Dayton has proposed $137.9 million in one-time Emergency School Aid. This would mean a $126 per student, or a 2% per-pupil, funding increase for all Minnesota school districts.
If we don’t protect schools from these massive budget cuts, it’s our students who will ultimately lose out. We have a responsibility to ensure every child has a chance at a bright future, so let’s do the right thing and deliver these investments.
Anti-Protest Measures Considered (Again)
In the last week, the House has twice discussed a Republican proposal to increase criminal penalties for those who participate in peaceful protests. It wasn’t enough for the Republicans to put this in their Public Safety budget bill; they also brought the measure separately to the House Floor yesterday. The topic may seem familiar because this is a rehashed discussion of a bill they brought last year but did not successfully get passed into law.
While protests may provide some level of inconvenience, throughout history they have been an effective tool to push for changes and address injustices. It makes no sense to put more Minnesotans in jail for simply wanting a voice when they feel they aren’t being listened to. I’m disappointed bills like these, which only seek to exacerbate divisions among Minnesotans, are advancing with such little time left in the legislative session and with a long list of ways we can actually improve the lives of Minnesotans yet to be addressed.
Energy Assistance Available
While spring is finally here and it’s warming up outside, many folks may be behind on their heating bills from winter. Late last week the Minnesota Department of Commerce announced they have received an additional $14.7 million from the federal government toward helping low-income homeowners and renters pay their heating bills via the state’s Energy Assistance Program and grants are available.
Assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and is paid directly to utility companies and heating fuel vendors on behalf of their customers who apply and qualify. Time is running out though, and the deadline to apply is May 31. To apply, contact Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties. Families with children under age six, people with disabilities, veterans, and seniors are especially encouraged to apply. Last year the Energy Assistance Program helped more than 126,000 Minnesota households. The average annual grant per household was about $520.
Please continue to contact me with your input or if I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
John Lesch
State Representative |
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