Dear Friends,
This week we have been hearing omnibus bills on the House floor and I suspect next week we will start to enter conference committees with the Senate.
The House passed the Road and Bridge Act of 2015 on Tuesday, part of the Republican proposal to invest $7 billion in roads and bridges over the next 10 years. Our bill is the only transportation proposal at the Capitol that includes funding for small cities with fewer than 5,000 residents. Small cities lack the tax base and funding to fix their potholes and roads the same way larger cities can. Citizens in Upsala and Long Prairie deserve good roads to drive on just as much as folks in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
The House transportation plan shows we can fix our roads and bridges without increasing taxes and taking money out of family budgets. It's my hope that the Senate and the Governor will work with us and if they don't like our plan, get creative and help create a plan that will address our roads and bridges without a harmful tax increase.
Child Protection
Yesterday afternoon, the House Ways and Means Committee approved $52 million in funding for the Health and Human Services budget in order to implement recommendations from the Governor's Task Force on the Protection of Children.
I have been working hard to improve our Child Protection system and to make sure the resources are available. The Task Force that I was privileged to serve on put in incredible work to craft these recommendations that will help better protect Minnesota children, and make sure our child protection laws are working the way they're supposed to, keeping kids from slipping through the cracks.
The bill we passed earlier this year that the Governor signed into law was a good first step, and with this funding, Republicans are affirming their commitment to making improvements to Minnesota's child protection laws, and keeping kids safe.
Lastly, we are entering Prom time and I hope people keep those kids in their prayers and that they come home safe.
Have a great weekend,
Ron