Greetings -
Now that we’re in the second half of the legislative session, we are crafting budget bills and advancing them in committee and on the House floor.
Long-Term Care Budget Bills Being Built
A major part of our budget negotiations will center on our commitment to providing high-quality long-term care to seniors and vulnerable adults statewide. In our community, we are blessed to have multiple long-term care facilities that are known regionally for the excellent care they provide to our aging adults. While the Governor’s budget contains limited funding for long-term care, our budget proposal contains an increase in funds to long-term care services statewide. I am working with my colleagues to ensure that this biennium’s budget guarantees that our record for excellent staff and long-term care continues for generations to come.
Transportation
Transportation funding for roads and bridges is critical for commerce, commuters, and public safety. As I wrote in my last update, our proposal is a ten-year, $7 billion plan to ensure safe and efficient roads and bridges across the state. Our proposal also makes it easier to appropriate reliable funds for our local projects. Having the ability to appropriate from a reliable stream of funding will benefit our district and ensure safe statewide travel over the next decade. This proposal is being well-received across the state and in our area.
Bill Actions
As we craft the final budget and policy bills for the session, I remain optimistic that a number of my legislative priorities will be included for final passage. This includes veteran de-escalation training, which will be included in the Public Safety and Crime Prevention omnibus bills, and long-term care insurance tax credits, among others.
I continue to be focused on the issues that impact families in my district, such as our pension system. This is an issue that has interested me since my first term in the House, and one that I will continue to pay particular attention on as the legislative session progresses. If you ever have any thoughts on proposals put before my committees or in the House, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Take My Survey
Remember to take my Legislative Survey to share your thoughts on the issues we’re discussing in the Legislature. I look forward to hearing your feedback! You can also contact me via email at rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn or via phone at (651) 296-3780.
Have a great week,
Rep. Tim O’Driscoll
This Week in History: Minnesota first received word that is a territory of the United States on April 9th, 1849.