Dear Neighbors,
We’re headed into the homestretch of the legislative session with just one week to go. The House and Senate have each passed their own respective budget proposals, now for each area of the budget, joint House/Senate Conference Committees have been assigned to reach a consensus. They have started meeting to identify and discuss differences between each chamber’s versions of the bill.
Before many decisions can be made regarding the budget though, each conference committee needs to receive its “target” for either investments or cuts. House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, and Governor Tim Walz had set a May 6 deadline to come up with these for each are of the budget. Unfortunately, this passed without a resolution. In fact, despite compromise from both the Governor and the House, the Senate hasn't even moved from their initial budget number at all.
I know Minnesotans expect us to compromise, and for this to happen, all sides will need to give a little bit. I’m still confident we can get there by May 20.
As we enter these final days its critical for members of the public to follow along with what’s going on and to stay engaged. This way, when we receive feedback from the people we represent, we can move forward in a way that best reflects what Minnesotans want to see this legislative session. Minnesota House Public Information Services is a nonpartisan office of the House that offers many valuable resources including livestreaming of floor sessions and committee meetings, a YouTube channel, Session Daily – a recap of Capitol activity every day delivered via email, and Facebook and Twitter accounts with timely information. The decisions being made over the next week have a tremendous impact on the future of our state. It’s important to stay up to date, and I hope you will follow along from Mankato.
Here’s an update on some of the major topics.
Higher Education
All Minnesotans deserve to go to college or a career training program without experiencing piles of debt. Unfortunately, Minnesota has some of the highest average student debt loads in the country. I’m proud that the House Higher Education budget freezes tuition at MSU and our other public two- and four-year colleges and universities. It also increases funding for the Minnesota State Grant Program. Beyond addressing high tuition, the budget includes other measures to improve student achievement, some which outside the classroom. The budget prioritizes access to mental health services and legal advocacy support for sexual assault survivors. To address growing food insecurity among students, the budget also includes a “hunger-free campus” initiative.
E-12 Education
Underfunding of schools in recent years has meant some consequences for students. Larger class sizes, teachers being laid off, and fewer support staff being available, like counselors and social workers, aren’t ways to ensure students can succeed. Underfunding has also meant inequities for districts needing to go out and ask property taxpayers to contribute.
Our House DFL education budget reverses this trend by making robust, honest investments in our schools across the state so students have what they need to achieve in the classroom. Here’s the difference of our budget compared to the relatively meager per-pupil formula release the Senate has proposed for Mankato Area Public Schools.
For Minnesota to be a leader, our state needs to remain a leader in Education. World-class schools is a value many of us share and I’ll be working to deliver on that in these final days.
Public Safety/Judiciary
This session I chaired the House Corrections Division and served as a member of the Public Safety Committee. I’m extremely proud of the work we did in this area of the budget which I truly think will improve outcomes not just for our criminal justice system, but for Minnesotans. After two tragic deaths in Minnesota prisons over the last year, the budget significantly increases funding for more corrections officers and reestablishes the position of Corrections Ombudsman, which will take complaints, conduct investigations, and make recommendations regarding our prisons, jails, and other correctional facilities. The budget also has bipartisan reforms to our probation system, protections against gender-based violence, and an expansion of our Department of Human Rights.
With regard to the levels of investments as well as our reforms and protections for Minnesotans, this is another area where the Senate Republicans’ version of the budget is woefully short in comparison to the House’s. In fact, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said it may even violate the constitution because it funds prisons and courts at such a low level. Our criminal justice system isn’t an area that’s usually very partisan, and it’s wrong to play politics with funding for our corrections officers and others who do important, often dangerous work. We value the contributions of these Minnesotans, and we have a responsibility to deliver funding for them.
Please continue to reach out with your input and ideas. It’s an honor to represent you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Jack Considine
State Representative
Rep. Jack Considine
433 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
www.house.mn/19B
Chair, House Corrections Division
Phone: 651-296-3248
E-mail: rep.jack.considine@house.mn
Legislative Assistant: Adam Kopel, 651-296-4165