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Dear Neighbors,
Having completed our budget work, the Minnesota Legislature is now adjourned until February 11, 2020. As one of the only divided state governments in the nation, we were able to prove that political compromise can still be reached in this day and age. As is the nature of compromise, no one gets everything they want, and while there are some crucial issues that unfortunately remain unresolved, I’m proud of the budget that we were able to produce together. Here’s a quick overview of the highlights of our budget, as well as information on today's Town Hall.
End of Session Town Hall
The Legislature is done for the year, but there’s always much to discuss. I hope you can join us for our Senate District 45 Legislative Town Hall this evening, Wednesday, June 5, from 6:30-8pm. We’ll be at the Crystal Community Center, and I’ll be joined by Sen. Ann Rest and Rep. Lyndon Carlson. We’ll be discussing what we accomplished this session, as well as what unresolved legislation we’ll continue to fight for. I hope to see you there.
WHAT: Senate District 45 Legislative Town Hall
WHO: Sen. Ann Rest, Rep. Lyndon Carlson, Rep. Mike Freiberg
WHEN: Today, Wednesday, June 5, 6:30-8pm
WHERE: Crystal Community Center
Investments in Education
Minnesota’s students deserve access to a world-class education, regardless of zip code. Our budget increases funding for Minnesota’s public school students by 2 percent for each of the next two years. It also addresses our special education shortfall, filling in a void left by the federal government, with an investment of $90 million. We were also able to extend opportunities for voluntary pre-kindergarten while expanding early learning scholarships, helping our youngest learners start their education journeys with a solid foundation.
Protecting Health Care
The funding source for Minnesota’s Health Care Access Fund was set to expire this year. This fund, created over a generation ago in a bipartisan manner, provides access to more than one million Minnesotans to programs like MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance. Our compromise budget maintains this funding into the future, and protects other forms of coverage like basic dental and vision care for low-income Minnesotans.
Supporting Working Families
Our budget includes some of the toughest wage theft prevention measures in the US, ensuring that employees are receiving an hour’s pay for an hour’s work, and holding accountable those who would cheat workers of their wages. We’re also taking on the child care crisis in our state by investing in grants to ensure that accessible, affordable child care options are available all over Minnesota.
Stay In Touch!
Regardless of whether or not you’re able to attend this week’s Town Hall, I want to hear from you. We have more to work towards, and though the Legislature won’t return until February 2020, I’ll continue to work on the issues that impact our community and state. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or solutions for Minnesota. As always, you can reach me at rep.mike.freiberg@house.mn and at (651) 296-4176.
Sincerely,
Mike Freiberg
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