Greetings,
There has been a notable delay in progress by the House and Senate majority in finding compromise agreements on numerous budget bills. This week, the House majority leader noted that the House is looking to adjourn on May 18, which is less than a week away. Judging by the amount of work that’s left, I don’t think this is achievable. Session must end on May 22.
VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS BILL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
Despite the slow progress overall, a few conference committee reports were debated on the House floor. One was the veterans and military affairs finance bill, a proposal I was pleased to support. It included a number of Republican-sponsored provisions, including changes to the veterans’ bonus program and staffing for three new veterans home across the state. It was nice to have a nonpartisan bill in front of us for a vote and I was happy to support the proposal and all the veterans, members of the military, and their families who will benefit from it.
“FREE” COLLEGE PROPOSAL WILL COST MINNESOTANS PLENTY
The higher education conference committee report included a provision that provides “free” college tuition for Minnesota students if their family has an adjusted gross income below $80,000. Of course, “free” actually comes at a cost of more than $215 million to Minnesota taxpayers over the next four years. It also does not encourage the student to target careers of need such as teachers, law enforcement, or health care professionals and does nothing to address the real problem in higher education, which is skyrocketing tuition for those who actually have to pay for it.
HAPPY 165TH BIRTHDAY, MINNESOTA!
Thursday marked the 165th birthday of Minnesota’s statehood. It is the one occasion each year when the Capitol rotunda’s historic chandelier is turned on for public viewing. Numerous school groups also arrived for the historic event. It’s good to see the State Capitol bustling again after being shut down during the COVID pandemic.
LOCAL ‘TEACHER OF THE YEAR’ CANDIDATE NAMED
Congratulations to Sartell-St. Stephen teacher Joe Schulte on being named as a state finalist for Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year! Read more about Joe and this honor by clicking here.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
To all of our mothers, I wish you a happy Mother’s Day and hope you enjoy a wonderful day on Sunday!
KEEP IN TOUCH
As always, I'm continuing to support constituent needs. Feel free to contact me anytime at rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn.gov. or by phone at 651-296-7808.
Have a good weekend,
Tim