Dear friends,
It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Here is some information regarding a couple of events in our area, and some session priorities.
Center for the American Experiment Met Council Town Hall
On February 22nd, I hosted a town hall with the Center for the American Experiment to talk about the Met Council’s 30 year plan. A lot of great information was presented, and the Q and A that followed resulted in a very interesting discussion regarding the Met Council’s policies and their impact on our community. If you weren’t able to attend, click here for video of the meeting!
2016 Dakota County Legislative Workshop
On February 26th, area legislators and I participated in the Dakota County Legislative Workshop, and gave a brief overview of what to expect in the upcoming legislative session. The overview included the House GOP Caucus’s transportation plan, which would invest $7 billion into transportation infrastructure over the next 10 years, and other legislative priorities like tax reform.
House GOP Transportation Plan
As mentioned above, the GOP transportation proposal would allocate $7 billion into building roads and bridges over the next decade. In this plan, there are five accounts that will have $3.078 billion in dedicated funds:
-Road and Bridge Account
-Metro Capital Improvements Account
-Small Cities Account
-Greater Minnesota Bus Services Account
-Suburban County Highway Account
The money used for these areas will come from an already-existing sales taxes on auto parts and rental vehicles.
The rest of the $7 billion in transportation funding will be comprised of Trunk Highway bonds, realigning resources in the MN Department of Transportation, General Obligation Bonds, and a small amount of General Fund dollars.
Bottom line, we can repair roads and bridges throughout the state, and invest in long-term transportation infrastructure, without raising the gas tax.
Budget Forecast
Last Friday, Minnesota Management and Budget announced a projected state surplus of $900 million for fiscal years 2016-17. This amount is slightly lower than past projections, and this is due, in-part, to decreased sales tax receipts. In other words, Minnesotans haven’t been spending as much of their paychecks. The best way to remedy this is to pass tax relief for individuals and families throughout our state. Lowing middle-class taxes, and building transportation infrastructure (as mentioned above), will strengthen our economy, and are top priorities for the GOP going into this session.
Caucus Reminder
Today, March 1st, caucuses are taking place in Minnesota. Regardless of your party affiliation, I hope you take the chance to participate in the legislative process and select the candidates you hope to vote for in November. To find your caucus location, follow this link: http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
-Roz