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Health & Fitness

2013 Legislative Session Wrap Up

State lawmakers passed a budget that eliminates our deficit, accelerates repayment of the school shift, and invests in education, job creation, and property tax cuts.

State lawmakers recently wrapped up the 2013 Legislative Session by passing a budget that eliminates our deficit, accelerates repayment of the school shift, and invests in education, job creation, and property tax cuts.

We balanced the budget using a combination of targeted cuts, reforms, and new revenue without relying on gimmicks and shifts. By establishing a fair tax system, we’re able to make the kinds of investments in our future that are needed to build a well-educated workforce and create economic growth.

Our budget assures every child will have access to publicly provided all-day Kindergarten. Low- and middle-income families will receive early learning scholarships so their kids can attend preschool. New funds for K-12 schools will help reduce class sizes and boost achievement. Additional resources for special education mean that kids with special needs will receive the support and attention they deserve.

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For the next two years, students enrolled in Minnesota’s public colleges and universities will not pay a penny over current tuition levels. In addition, significant funding increases for the State Grant Program will help students from all backgrounds obtain degrees from two-year and four-year public universities like the University of Minnesota and private institutions like St. Olaf and Carleton College.

Our budget also takes serious steps to address income inequality by cutting property tax rates for homeowners and renters while also restoring the state’s commitment to cities, counties, and school districts. After a decade of cuts to Local Government Aid (LGA) that caused property taxes to increase by 86 percent, we’re putting more money into LGA to bring those rates back down and make sure cities and towns can continue providing high-quality services like police officers and firefighters that we depend on every day. Under our budget, Northfield will receive roughly $560,000 in additional LGA in 2014.

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In addition, our budget funds effective, proven tools and incentives that put people to work. New resources for the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) will go towards low-interest business loans for out-of-state businesses thinking of setting up shop in Minnesota as well as in-state businesses thinking of expanding. Investments in Minnesota’s Job Creation Fund (JCFF) will provide grants to businesses that make a commitment to hire additional employees or make large capital investments. A renewed commitment to job training programs will help Minnesotans obtain the skills they need to secure unfilled manufacturing jobs. This is exactly the kind of comprehensive, all-of-the-above approach that our state needs to put people back to work.

I’m also pleased that our Legislature passed a bill I authored that strengthens Minnesota’s “Buy the Farm” law. My legislation calls for utilities to pay relocation costs, compensation, and also requires them to file challenges to a claim within 60 days to prevent stalling. Many landowners have told me the current law is not working. I’m glad lawmakers took action to protect their livelihoods and give greater economic security to the growing number of Minnesotans filing claims due to the ongoing CapX2020 project.

While I’ve covered a lot of the major components of our budget in this article, there are plenty of other benefits I plan to highlight in the coming weeks and months. At the end of the day, it’s a budget that invests in our future and puts Minnesota on the path to academic excellence, economic growth, and long-term, shared prosperity. I’m proud of what we accomplished and I think Minnesotans will be pleased with the results.

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