Dear Friends,
Every lawmaker has priorities they want accomplished at the State Capitol, and I am no different. Based on conversations with numerous people from our area, here are three of my top legislative priorities this year: the economy, public safety, and the education of our children.
THE ECONOMY
Many are concerned, especially in this time of high inflation, about being able to afford to put food on their tables and heating their homes. Farmers are worried about affording critical items like fertilizer and fuel for their farm equipment.
The state of Minnesota has over collected on taxes to the point where we now have a projected $17.6 billion budget surplus for this budget cycle. What happens when you overpay a business for a product or service? You get that overpayment back. That’s what Minnesota taxpayers deserve – and need.
There are many ways we can bring tax relief to Minnesotans, including some I’ve already proposed like repealing the tax on Social Security. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work with my colleagues to find the best ways to return this overpayment to Minnesota taxpayers. We need to get this done to give people a break from the high inflation costs of living.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Public safety is critical and a core function of government. Sadly, we can’t turn on the nightly news these days without hearing of a report of a robbery, assault, or murder. Even rural areas are seeing crime on the rise.
Supporting law enforcement and our police officers is extremely important to me and a significant key to combating crime in our state. We should insist that law enforcement agencies receive proper funding and training, along with expanding mental health support in local communities. Most importantly, we must hold criminals accountable for their actions. Too many violent criminals are being allowed to leave jail early and then immediately reoffend.
E-12 EDUATION
The education of our children is an extremely important issue – it is a significant key to their success in life. Minnesota’s test scores have been on the decline for years. It saddens me greatly that only half of Minnesota students are now proficient in reading and math. This is unacceptable.
The solution is about much more than just putting additional money into education – it’s about spending smarter. For example, we spend a half a billion dollars a year to reduce the achievement gap and yet there has literally been no improvement in that gap for years. We can do better for our students.
In my classroom, if something wasn’t working, I didn’t keep doing it over and over. Government shouldn’t do that either. I have a lot of ideas for education reform. I am ready to work with my education colleagues to winnow through what’s working and not working, start thinking innovatively, and make sure we have an education system that works for Minnesota children.
LONG TERM CARE AND DISABILITY SERVICES
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention an issue that is currently a dire emergency in our state. We have nursing homes, group homes, and disability services that are on the verge of closing and leaving our most vulnerable Minnesotans without care. We need to address this problem immediately with both regulatory and funding reform. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road and abandon our elderly and disabled. We must address this early in session.
There are many bills that have already been introduced in the Minnesota House and many more to come. I will try to keep you informed about the most noteworthy legislation and highlight these proposals in my weekly email updates, particularly if they are impactful to area residents and the bills are making significant movement in the House.
TAX CONFORMITY BILL APPROVED IN HOUSE
The Minnesota House of Representatives has approved tax conformity legislation that will align Minnesota’s tax system with tax changes that have been made at the federal level. The federal government periodically passes tax laws that are helpful to filers. But if the state doesn’t conform their tax laws to what has been approved in Washington, the taxpayers aren’t able to take advantage of the benefits.
I’m pleased we passed this bill unanimously on the House floor. Approving this legislation will lead to fewer headaches for residents this tax season and will allow them to take advantage of federal tax revisions.
“FREE” SCHOOL LUNCH BILL DOESN’T MAKE THE GRADE
The Education Policy Committee approved legislation this week (HF 5) that would spend an estimated $200 million a year to provide free school lunches for all students, no matter what the family’s income. Currently, lunch reimbursements are based on household income, providing a meal free of charge for children in households with incomes at the federal poverty level or reduced price for students up to 185% of the federal poverty level.
I totally agree with the issue here and believe the DFL bill is presented in good faith. More families are struggling to make ends meet with the incredibly high inflation making the costs of everything from food to heating costs higher. The current eligibility requirements would seem to leave some students and families falling through the cracks of school lunch affordability.
While I agree with the problem the bill is trying to address, I do not agree with the proposed solution. This is using a shotgun effect where a more surgical targeted effect would make more sense. Why would we use taxpayer dollars to pay for the lunches for families who can afford this - wealthy families in particular?
To give perspective, $200 million a year is equal to a $200 per pupil increase per year to the general education formula. This would be equivalent to a more than 2% increase on the per pupil formula. We could add a 2% increase to the general education formula EVERY YEAR with this amount of money.
I believe the better solution would be to spend a small amount of money to increase the income eligibility requirements to adjust for those students who are falling through the cracks. Then, you could put the $200 per pupil increase toward lowering class sizes and proven literacy strategies to help kids improve in academic growth.
I voted no on this bill. We need to do smart spending in education. Let’s focus on strategies and solutions where we get the most bang for our buck to give our children the best education possible.
Have a good weekend,
Peggy