Dear Neighbors,
Last week, state economists released their annual February budget forecast. The budget forecast gives lawmakers a detailed look at the state’s overall economic health.
The forecast revealed that Minnesota is projected to have a $1.5 billion budget surplus. The new figure is nearly $200 million more than what was initially projected back in early December. A surplus of this size is further proof that the economy continues to do well as the state takes in tax revenue at higher levels than expected.
While lawmakers have ongoing discussions about what to do with the excess revenue, I think it’s important to remember that this surplus ultimately belongs to the people of Minnesota.
That’s why I will advocate for returning the surplus to hardworking Minnesotans through tax relief. Next week, I expect House Republicans to release a tax relief package that proposes ways we can ensure more folks keep their hard-earned money.
Stay tuned for more details on this next week.
On Friday February 28th, I met with Joan Parsakalleh, Executive Director of ABBA Pregnancy Center of Elk River. ABBA provides confidential pregnancy support to young men and women. We also discussed the centers plan for expanding to include ultrasound and medical services.
Earlier that day I met with Elk River City Administrator, Cal Portner, for an update on the city’s plans for the Lake Orono drain-down, the Hwy 169 upgrade, and recreational service upgrades in the near future.
On Saturday the 29th I attended and spoke at the Minnesota Peace and Police Officers Association legislative meeting in St. Cloud. This will be my last year to attend as a member and it was an honor to be part of this group. Brian Peter is the new Executive Director of the group and I look forward to working with him in the future.
On Monday, I met with the superintendents from the Elk River and Big Lake school districts. It was great to chat with them to discuss ways we can work together to strengthen our local schools and get more stable funding. Both the Elk River and Big Lake school districts do an outstanding job educating students in our community!
Also, I attended the meeting of the Elk River City Council where members discussed a number of issues impacting the local community. Elk River Police Juvenile Detective Eric Balabon was recognized by Mayor John Dietz for his promotion to Sergeant. Eric has been a great asset to ERPD and the Elk River School district as a School Resource Officer.
I enjoyed meeting with former Rep. Zerwas and others regarding charter schools
Sky David from the Pacer Center visited to discuss their priorities this session
I also met with several constituent groups during the week to discuss issues that are important to them. Meeting with folks, face to face, is a more impactful way to interact and I appreciate the time they take to come to the Capital to meet us.
Please continue to reach out to me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. It would be great to chat with you and discuss issues that are important to you and your family. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4237 or via email at rep.paul.novotny@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Paul