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Several components brought us to this point, including the challenges of safely working in a pandemic, and a late-in-session influx of funds from the federal government thanks to the American Rescue Plan that was passed by Democrats in Congress and signed into law by President Biden. Some important issues have already been hammered out, but my DFL colleagues and I in the House are still negotiating with the Republicans in the Senate to build a budget that will help Minnesota not only bounce back from the past year, but thrive.
Our budget proposal in the house prioritizes students, families, workers, and small businesses, and while the proposals around these are all incredibly important, it’s crucial to remember, especially as we reflect on the one year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, that meaningful public safety reform must also be part of our final budget.
Between the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd, this has been a traumatic year for many of us, and our state has often been in the global spotlight - not for the things that make us great, but for the inequities that exist in our society. Minnesota is not alone in its issues, but we have the opportunity now to be a leader. I’m confident we can work together to put forward a budget that builds a stronger, healthier, more equitable and inclusive Minnesota.
Summer Learning Plan
Part of our bipartisan budget agreement includes immediate funds to help Minnesota’s students. Last week, Governor Walz announced a plan to help students recover from the pandemic and the unprecedented challenges many of them have faced this year, a plan based on the one we constructed in the Minnesota House. He’s investing $75 million of Minnesota’s American Rescue Plan funds in summer learning programs. Of this, $34.6 million is dedicated to providing academic and mental health support during the summer and beyond.
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