Dear Neighbors,
I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weekend temperatures! Here’s an update from St. Paul:
Almanac at the Capitol
Last Wednesday evening, I was on TPT’s public affairs program “Almanac at the Capitol” with Senator Scott Jensen. We discussed the opioid crisis and the likelihood of a health care reform package passing both legislative bodies. If you missed it last week, you can view it here. |
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Emergency Funding Measure Passes with Bipartisan Support
My bill to fill an emergency funding gap in residential children’s mental health care cleared all committees and made it to the House Floor. I’m pleased to share it passed with broad, bipartisan support on a vote of 123-0. The bill is moving slowly in the Senate, however I remain optimistic that my colleagues will work toward making this bipartisan legislation a reality. |
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Governor Walz Releases Revised Budget
Last Friday, Governor Tim Walz announced the revised Budget for One Minnesota. His proposal is based on the February state economic forecast, which revealed a significant reduction in the state’s positive budgetary balance. Minnesota’s budget experts say the balance declined by a third from the previous forecast, released in early December 2018. The Governor’s supplemental budget proposal retains scaled back investments in education, health care, and community prosperity. You can read more about it here.
House Majority Releases Budget Framework
The House Majority released budget ‘targets’ today. These targets will serve as a financial blueprint and reflection of values to guide our work as we set the state’s budget. I am reviewing the details and will keep you updated as committees compile their final bills working directly from these targets.
Constituent Spotlight
I recently had the opportunity to meet 8th grade students Sophia Perepelitsyn and Malvika Reddy who formed a Students Demand Action chapter after the Parkland tragedy. Now they are lobbying legislators to support gun violence prevention. All Minnesotans deserve to be safe in school, their place of worship, and any other public space. Thank you for your work, Sophia and Malvika! |
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Stay in Touch
As committees continue their work to craft their final bills, I hope you’ll keep in touch with your priorities. I appreciate your input and would love to hear about your values and what that means for our state budget.
Sincerely,
Kelly |
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