Dear Neighbors,
The special legislative session that occurred at the end of the regular session adjourned at 3:00 AM on Friday morning, May 26th. Now that some of the dust has settled, I want to share an opportunity for you to join me for a town hall to ask questions, and explain some of the actions taken at the end of the special session.
Town Hall Meeting – Tuesday, June 20th
I will be hosting a town hall for residents of our district with Senator Pappas next week on Tuesday, June 20th from 5:30 – 7:00pm at the State Office Building in Room 5 (in the lower level). You can see details below, and I encourage you to attend with any questions you might have. I look forward to seeing you there!
Governor Dayton’s Explanation Letters
Like many Minnesotans, I’m frustrated that the spending that constitutes over 70% of our state budget was negotiated behind closed doors, and debated during the middle of the night with little or no public input during the final hours of the special session. Families in our state deserve a better process with more transparency and an opportunity for input.
Governor Dayton signed the special session omnibus budget bills on May 30, while also expressing his disappointment and frustrations with the final products. Thankfully for the many thousands of workers who are organizing in communities throughout the state for better pay, earned sick leave, and paid family leave, the Governor vetoed the preemption legislation passed by Republicans. He also line-item vetoed the appropriation that keeps the legislature operational, in an effort to keep negotiating a better deal for Minnesotans. You can find letters explaining the Governor’s reasoning for signing all of these bills by following the link here.
Overall, I’m deeply concerned with most of the special session omnibus bills, especially the tax cuts for tobacco companies and the denial of driver’s licenses for undocumented Minnesotans. I’m pleased that Governor Dayton was able to negotiate more financial support to fund education, childcare assistance and programs for young learners, but many of the specific provisions in these final budget bills are objectionable. In many important areas of the budget, they prioritize short term tax cuts for wealthy Minnesotans over the long term success of Minnesota’s communities and economy. As you can read in Governor Dayton’s letters above, the special session tax bill is very likely to lead us back to the days of large budget deficits, especially given budget and economic projections and uncertainty at the federal level.
With a $1.65 billion budget surplus, we should be investing in the future of children, families and the future of our community, and every community. This was an opportunity to do more, and Republican legislative leaders failed to seize this chance to help many families in our state.
Opportunities for Summer Fun
Many of us forget about all of the fun activities there are in our own back yard. Especially for folks trying to save a little money and stay close to home this summer, I wanted to share this helpful link from Visit St. Paul with many fun summer activities! Check out the events calendar and other links – there is something for everyone!
Please contact me if you have questions about these topics, or any other legislative issue. You can reach me at rep.rena.moran@house.mn or 651-296-5158.
Together, we are stronger!
Sincerely,
Rena Moran
Deputy Minority Leader
State Representative – District 65A