WHAT'S NEW?K-12 Education has been receiving a lot of Capitol chatter lately, and most of it has not been good.
Last session, a Democrat-led majority and Governor Walz approved 65 costly mandates on all Minnesota school districts. The result is that districts are now struggling to keep their heads above water, and are having to eliminate teaching and staffing positions within the schools in order to survive.
Now, Governor Walz recently updated his budget recommendations, and they include $200 million in cuts to K-12 Education.
In response to this growing financial problem, a Capitol press conference was held in support of saving our schools from the overbearing government mandates Democrats ushered into law last session.
Very simply, House Republicans are offering a number of solutions that wouldn’t cost districts anything while trying give back local control. Creating opportunities to innovate locally, allowing schools to temporarily transfer funds between budget accounts, and letting schools delay implementation of these new mandates for up to three years if their school board agrees are among the changes we’d like to make.
Click here to watch the education press conference. |
LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTSREPORT FRAUD AT MNFRAUD.COM This week, House Republican leaders announced the creation of a new, secure website for whistleblowers to confidentially report suspected fraud within Minnesota state government.
MNFraud.com is designed specifically to collect tips from individuals who have firsthand knowledge of waste, fraud, or abuse in state agencies or publicly funded programs. Information submitted through the site will be reviewed by the staff of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee. The information, including the identities of whistleblowers, is protected much as it would be on a secure-payment processing website.
State employees and the public should be able to share their experiences of taxpayer dollars being wasted without fear of retribution, and this website allows that to happen. If you know of waste, fraud and abuse within state agencies, please report your experience to www.MNFraud.com.
REPUBLICANS WILL NOT SUPPORT GOVERNOR WALZ’S PROPOSED NURSING HOME CUTS With a $6 billion deficit looming for the next budget cycle thanks to the Democrats wasting your $18 billion surplus last session and raising taxes another $10 billion, Governor Walz has come out with a revised budget.
Incredibly, he wants to cut funding for nursing homes and disability services.
According to a recent analysis, Governor Walz’s proposed budget would cut an estimated $700 million in funding for nursing homes over four years.
So, what would that mean locally? Keep in mind, the Walz administration previously ordered the closure of nursing homes in Cannon Falls and Red Wing so the situation in our district is already dire.
Here is how much local nursing homes would stand to lose over the next four years if Governor Walz’s plans became law:
Lake City Med Ctr Mayo Health System – Lake City: $1.895 million St. Crispin Living Community Care Center – Red Wing: $1.506 million St. Elizabeth Nursing Home and Health Care Center – Wabasha: $2.983 million
Folks, the State of Minnesota has plenty of money to spend on government programs, we just need to right size what we already have. I can come up with at least a dozen ways to reduce spending – such as eliminating free college tuition and health care for illegal aliens – as opposed to cutting services that assist our elderly and disabled residents!
While it’s clear Governor Walz does not believe nursing homes are a top statewide priority, House Republicans do. We will not be supporting a budget that cuts funding for nursing homes.
CONGRATULATIONS MINNESOTA FROST! This week, we honored the Minnesota Frost on the House floor. You may recall that the Frost won the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) championship last year, so it was great to have them on hand so we could recognize their historic season. I was among those who read a House resolution in their honor. Many of you know Taylor Heise, who was born in Lake City and attended Red Wing High School, is one of the stars of the team. Congratulations!
VISITORS Bishops Day at the Capitol took place this week, and I was able to meet with Archbishop Bernard Hebda.
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Mark Hollis from Moose Lake traveled all the way down to St. Paul to testify in favor of my bill which deals with residence issues for voting purposes.
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PLEASE CONTACT MEIt’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. I am here to serve you! |