Dear Neighbors,
We’re in the final days of the legislative session, and negotiations on our budget continue. Our budget in the DFL House was crafted from values-based conversations my colleagues and I had with Minnesotans all over the state, helping us deliver a budget that invests in the things Minnesotans care about. Our proposals are in stark contrast to the investments, or lack thereof, coming from the Republican-controlled Senate.
E-12 Education
A highlight of our budget work in the Minnesota House is our historic investment in E-12 education. We’re working to provide students with a world-class education that builds a stronger, smarter Minnesota. You can see below how our investments stack up against the Senate’s inadequate proposal:
Minneapolis Public Schools would see a $668 increase in per-pupil funding, in addition to the investments we’re making to recruit and retain more teachers of colors, expand access to courses that award college credit, and overall close the achievement gap facing Minnesota’s students.
State Government & Elections
As Chair of the House Subcommittee on Elections, I was able to prioritize what investments would be made by the House to protect and improve our elections, and I continue to do so on the State Government Conference Committee. Made up of House and Senate members to craft consensus legislation for our State Government budget, each legislative chamber is holding up their proposals and working to find common ground and compromise where possible.
In another example where the Senate has failed to live up to the investments that Minnesotans deserve, the House has put forth prudent, responsible investments for the budget area of State Government. Protecting our elections shouldn’t be a partisan issue, yet only the DFL House is proposing the use of the full $6.6 million in federal dollars for that very purpose. Minnesota is the only state in the U.S. that hasn’t accepted these election security funds, and what should have been an early-session fix has now made it all the way to our budget negotiations in the final days of session.
You can read more about our efforts to access these funds here.
Stay In Touch!
Please feel free to contact me with any comments of questions you may have. You can reach me at (651) 296-8659, or at rep.raymond.dehn@house.mn. Our work here at the legislature is a collaborative process, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Raymond Dehn |
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