Legislative Update - May 15, 2019

Dear neighbors,

A lot has happened since my last update. With just a few days left in the legislative session, my colleagues and I are working hard to get the job done and deliver a budget that works for all Minnesotans!

Your input is a vital part of the budget process and very important to me. I’d appreciate it if you completed a short survey that will help me represent our community at the Capitol. It’s available here.

Communicating with you is also a priority for me. As we head into the last part of session, events will move quickly. If you’re interested in the latest news, please follow my Facebook page for the most up-to-date information!

Thank you to Elder Voice for advocating for stronger protections for those who rely on care facilities. I was proud to vote for the Elder and Vulnerable Adults Protection Act, which would ensure that people in assisted living facilities have the proper care and are treated with respect.

At the Capitol: Budget Update

Now that the House and Senate have approved their budgets, members of both chambers have started resolving the differences in conference committees. There’s ten of them, one for every section of the budget, and five members from the House and five from the Senate serve on each. A list of the conference committees, a hearing schedule, and more information is available here.

I’m following each of the conference committees so I can keep you updated and make sure the best possible compromises are reached. People in our community value great schools, so I’ve been paying close attention to the committee that’s working on the budget for E-12 education.

E-12 Education 

In my last update, I talked about our plan to make sure every Minnesota student gets a great education. Increasing per-pupil funding is a key component of that! Under the House E-12 education budget, schools in Hopkins would receive approximately $611 more per student over the next two years. Schools in Minnetonka would receive about $412 more for each student, and Wayzata schools would receive an additional $483 per student.

We know that schools need adequate funding to support students inside and outside the classroom. Unfortunately, the Senate education proposal doesn’t invest enough in our students. Here’s the specifics for how each budget would impact the schools in our area: 

Schools need adequate funding in order to support students inside and outside the classroom. If they can’t keep up with inflation and rising costs, schools will be forced to layoff teachers, increase class sizes, and make cuts.

Our House budget also provides more funding for special education, para training, and voluntary early learning and preschool opportunities. To ensure that all of these great things are included in the final budget, we need the Senate to recognize the importance of these investments. If this is important to you, please take a minute or two to contact your state senator and others.  

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or thoughts that you’d like to share with me!

Sincerely,

Patty Acomb
State Representative