By Rep. Paul Anderson
Financing the state’s pre-K through 12 education system will be one of the first major omnibus bills the House tackles when returning to the Capitol April 23.
It’s a large bill, in fact education funding is the largest single outlay in the state budget, consuming around 40 percent of the entire general fund budget. And the measure we’ll take up represents the biggest increase in state spending, roughly $900 million over the last budget. It sets up an interesting test case of what’s to come in negotiating state spending for the coming biennium, as Gov. Tim Walz called for a $700 million in education spending and the Senate only $200 million above base.
The Jobs and Energy Bill is also slated for action next Tuesday. It has several pieces that I strongly favor, including new funding for the state’s Border-to-Border Broadband program and a $10 million allocation to dairy farmers to assist them in signing up for federal price supports. However, it also contains one of the single biggest increases in state government that I’ve ever seen. This bill is where the DFL’s new “Paid Family and Medical Leave” provision is found, and it represents a new tax on payrolls that will reach over $1.5 billion over a two-year period. Half of that total would be paid by employers, with the over half being charged to employees.
This new program would apply to virtually every employer in the state, including small businesses, nonprofits, schools, and local government employees. It would also expand this particular benefit to part-time and temporary employees.
The new bureaucracy this program would establish is ambitious, to say the least. As a division under Department of Employment and Economic Development, it would expand over the next four years to include nearly 400 new full-time employees! And here’s a really scary part: It would call for an entirely new IT system to be built from the ground up – entirely from scratch – to administer the program. And this new system would be up and functioning in a year’s time! Can’t help but think of MNLARS and how that new IT program met deadlines for spending and functionality. How could anything go wrong with this new program?
If this would ever become law, employees may receive up to 12 weeks leave each year for meeting the requirements in each of three separate categories. How would employers manage having workers away from their jobs for up to half a year or more? That could prove to be very challenging, especially for small business.
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Last week’s blizzard was not welcome for farmers wanting to get started with their spring planting. Looks like the calendar will turn to May once again before much work is done in the field. Although I will quickly add that we are much more fortunate around here when looking at damage done in neighboring states. Whether it’s low market prices, or high input costs, interest rates or the weather, those who work in agriculture can’t seem to catch a break. The winter was challenging, especially for those with livestock, and now it appears that spring planting will be later than normal. I learned once again last year that planting wheat in the month of May is not conducive to harvesting a bumper crop. Corn also fares better with early planting, which is usually the last week in April through the first week or ten days of May.
This is Easter Week. May you have an enjoyable and meaningful time with family. And maybe we can be outside more and bask in some glorious springtime weather, if it ever comes back. Happy Easter!
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