Dear neighbors,
Last week, the latest forecast for Minnesota’s state budget was released by Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB).
According to MMB, lawmakers will enter next year's legislative session with a $1.9 billion budget surplus. Roughly $665 million of that will be set aside for reserves and repayments, with about $1.2 billion remaining.
That news marks the third straight year of budget surpluses after the DFL balanced the budget and paid back our schools in the 2013-14 biennium.
Despite the broader stability of our economy and budget, there are still many families in our community who have been left behind and forgotten in this economic recovery. That was further complicated by the poor budget decisions made by the House Republican majority this past session.
Lawmakers entered this year's session with a $2 billion surplus, but the House GOP pushed an agenda that put corporate special interests ahead of Minnesota families, including big tax cuts for the wealthiest property owners in Minnesota. Meanwhile, many Minnesotans were left to deal with increased property taxes, higher tuitions, and higher health care costs. And Republicans didn’t do anything to address wage theft for low income workers or the need for paid sick leave/safe time and fair scheduling.
That was a huge missed opportunity. We need to put the health of our community before corporate special interests. With another large surplus to work with, we need the legislature to do better this year.
Now it's up to us to make sure this good budget news translates into good state policy that tackles racial inequality in the areas of wage growth, education, and housing, among others. We can afford to take bold steps for everyone and we should, not just the wealthy few.
As a start, Governor Dayton has called for a special session that would immediately invest $15 million in tackling the problem of high unemployment rates in Minnesota’s communities of color. I applaud the Governor in his efforts to listen and help where he can, but we also have to move forward next session in areas that will have meaningful impacts on the families of St. Paul. Some of those things include permanent tax relief for middle and low income families, increased childcare and healthcare assistance, and meaningful investments in our state’s crumbling transportation network, among others.
I welcome your input and your ideas about how our budget surplus can be put to work for our community. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.
Together we are stronger!
Rena Moran
State Representative