To the Editor:
When the 2013-2014 legislative session began in early January, Minnesota faced a projected $1.1 billion budget deficit over the next two years and owed our schools an additional $1.1 billion in funding shifts used to balance previous budgets.
An updated economic forecast released late last month cutting our projected deficit by 40 percent signaled that Minnesota’s economy is moving in the right direction. However, in order to keep our state moving forward, we must put an end to gimmicks, shifts, and one-time fixes that have caused our perpetual budget deficits over the past ten years.
By allowing our structural budget problems to persist, we create instability for funding everything from Local Government Aid to K-12 and higher education. Its lead to an 86 percent increase in property taxes since 2002, caused Minnesota to slip from the top 10 to 22nd in K-12 funding, and more than doubled tuition at our public colleges and universities.
DFL majorities are committed to solving our perpetual deficits by passing a fair, honest budget that invests in priorities like education and property tax relief. Middle class families and our students simply cannot afford any more short-term fixes.
It’s time to get our fiscal house in order so we can set Minnesota up to thrive for years to come.
As the legislative session continues, please contact me with your questions, ideas, and feedback about how we can create jobs and balance our budget in a way that is fair and responsible. I recently had an opportunity to hear from constituents at a town hall meeting at the Maplewood Nature Center with my colleague Rep. Peter Fischer. I hope you’ll consider visiting the nature center with friends or family to walk the beautiful trails or check out the visitor center.
If you want to contact me before our next town hall meeting, you can reach me by phone at (651) 296-1188, by email at rep.leon.lillie@house.mn, or by postal mail at 371 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155.