The 2013 Minnesota legislative session was easily the most successful in a generation.
For years, Minnesota has been stymied by a Republican Party trying to hamstring government so it could not act in the interests of ordinary citizens, resisting having wealthy Minnesotans pay their fair share of taxes, and trying to restrict the reproductive and family choices of Minnesotans.
This year, with DFLers in control of the legislature and governor’s office, Minnesota took many steps to help our besieged middle-class and those struggling to join it. To list just a few:
EDUCATION:
-
Established early childhood scholarships to give more low-income kids a start toward success.
-
Funded all-day, every-day kindergarten for every Minnesota child.
-
Improved funding for our K-12 schools, including special education, to give our kids the opportunities they deserve.
-
Instituted a two-year tuition freeze at state colleges and universities and more financial aid for needy students.
HEALTH CARE AND LONG-TERM CARE:
-
Improved health insurance for more low-income Minnesotans through Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare 2.0.
-
Established MNsure, an online marketplace where small employers and individuals can easily find, choose, and enroll in affordable insurance coverage and—if eligible—get help paying for it.
-
Increased payments to nursing homes and long-term care facilities to support our elderly and disabled residents and the dedicated people who care for them.
JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
-
Made low-interest business loans available for out-of-state business moving to Minnesota as well as in-state businesses that expand here.
-
Reduced the rate Minnesota employers pay on unemployment insurance, saving businesses $346 million.
TAXES:
-
Raised property tax refunds for homeowners and renters, with many people newly eligible for a refund.
-
Improved funding for cities and counties to help keep property taxes down.
SOCIAL SAFETY NET:
-
Created a housing stipend for families on the Minnesota Family Investment Program, the first new stipend in 27 years.
-
Provided a grant to food shelves to help them deal with the large increase in hungry Minnesotans.
-
Boosted funding boost for low-income housing to improve stability for struggling families.
-
Improved access to mental health treatment, especially for children.
We also secured funding several important local projects: the CRAFT program that helps keep high-risk mothers off drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, a pilot program of job mentorship for young adults with autism-spectrum disorders, and a program to establish primary health care services for clients at Zumbro Valley Mental Health Center. These programs will improve lives and save taxpayer money.
The session also brought us marriage equality, support for the Destination Medical Community, and progress in paying back money that was previously borrowed from schools. And we defeated efforts to stop women from making their own reproductive choices.
Of course, nothing is free. For the first time in a long time the budget is balanced honestly, by raising necessary revenues instead of shifting costs, borrowing, and denying Minnesota’s needs. Toward that end, a couple with taxable income over $250,000 or a single filer with income over $150,000 will pay 2% more on income over that amount. Also, smokers will see the price of tobacco increase—which will discourage smoking, especially among youth. Corporate tax loopholes have been closed and online retailers are required to collect sales taxes just like main street stores.
When Republicans were in charge of the legislature they refused to raise money for schools, health care, or other pressing needs. Their motto was “Not a penny more.” They claimed they could cut enough “wasteful” spending to balance the budget without any more revenue, but never identified enough cuts to do it. Their unyielding position resulted in a wasteful state shutdown and borrowing money to balance the budget—a debt that will cost double before it is fully paid. After years of painful and harmful cuts, most Minnesotans understand that we have to pay for what we need.
Even after this outstanding legislative session adjustments will surely be needed and there is plenty of work left to do. I was disappointed that the House and Senate could not agree on an increase in the minimum wage and that the GOP blocked passage of a strong anti-bullying bill and a responsible and much-needed capital investment bill—which included Rochester’s Convention and Civic Center. Work will continue on these and other important issues in the next legislative session.
Americans are frustrated by gridlock in Congress--where the GOP is proving that government is a failure by making it so--and Minnesotans had our own taste of gridlock during the shutdown of 2011. But Minnesota’s DFL legislature and Governor Dayton are delivering on what we promised: progress.