St. Paul, Minn. – This evening, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the State and Local Government Finance budget on a 70-59 vote. The bill has been incorporated into the Elections bill to create the State Government and Elections budget bill. The legislation invests in the offices of the state constitutional officers, the Legislature, and over 30 state agencies, boards, commissions, and councils including Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), the Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Department of Administration (Admin).
“We know what Minnesotans expect and deserve; government to work, and to meet their needs without delay or interruption,” said Rep. Klevorn. “In this budget bill, House DFLers are reversing the decades-long trend of underinvestment in state government to better serve Minnesotans.”
This State and Local Government Finance bill commits funding to the Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC) to translate legislative business for our non-native English-speaking neighbors, establish an Office of Enterprise Translations to provide translated materials in Hmong, Somali, and Spanish, and raise MMB’s capacity to conduct budget outreach and involve nonprofits, American Indian communities, and communities of color that have traditionally not participated in the process. These are important investments for a state government that works for all Minnesotans.
“Minnesotans deserve an effective state government that is responsive to their needs and provides the services they expect,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Our state government budget funds critically-important services, upgrades cybersecurity and IT systems, and improves oversight and administration of state grant funds.”
The legislation also provides overdue technology and cybersecurity upgrades around the state including statewide cybersecurity tools, grants to county and local governments, and protections for our emergency radio broadcast system. The House DFL is committed to ensuring our state systems and state information is safe and secure in an ever-evolving cyber environment.
The House DFL State and Local Government Finance budget also increases grant administration oversight to ensure state grant funds reach their intended recipients. This bill invests funds to determine the feasibility of a single, statewide grants management system, requires agencies to cooperate with the implementation of these systems, and establishes offices to carry out governance, oversight and management.
“Government of the people, by the people, and for the people, is one of our nation’s most cherished ideals and values, and that’s what the House DFL state and local government budget bill is all about,” said House Majority Leader Jamie Long. “This is a budget that Minnesotans can be proud of. It invests in better cyber security, IT systems, oversight for grants, and translation services. It helps us build the kind of responsive, accessible government that our active and engaged citizenry deserves.”
A recap of the Floor Debate will be available here.
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