Legislative Update on Budget Negotiations & Buffers

Greetings from the Capitol,

I was visited by 6^th, 7^th, & 8^th graders from Browns Valley last Friday and by 6^th graders from Ashby on Wednesday who were touring the Capitol.

Minnesotans expect the Legislature to work efficiently and effectively on their behalf in order to get a responsible and balanced budget signed into law before the end of session. Over the past couple weeks, conference committees have been working to find compromise on the discrepancies between each House and Senate budget proposal, as well as include provisions supported by the Governor. However, the Governor has already stopped negotiating for this week and is unwilling to make time in his schedule to work to a compromise. Additionally, the Governor has already stated he plans to veto every bill when they reach his desk. I hope he comes back to St. Paul on Monday prepared to negotiate, so we can get our work done and completed on time.

The House and Senate’s priority continues to be to provide $1.1 billion of tax relief to seniors, students, farmers, and in general: middle class Minnesotans; invest more than $1 billion in new expenditures to our schools; and pass a $5 billion long-term transportation plan that repairs and improves our aging transportation infrastructure.

Buffer Legislation Update:

This week, a bipartisan coalition of legislators and agricultural stakeholders sent a letter to Governor Dayton urging him to finally compromise on the House and Senate proposed reforms to the 2015 buffer law. I am frustrated that the Governor has drawn a line in the sand and is unwilling to work to ensure that the buffer law can preserve Minnesota’s water quality, while not also burdening farmers and landowners. We all know that a one-size-fits-all buffer law will not work for our local agricultural industry.

Staying in Touch:

Please be sure to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government. I can be reached by phone at either 651-296-4929, 701-361-1909, or via email at rep.jeff.backer@house.mn.

Have a great weekend,