A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
This week we returned to Saint Paul to kick off the 2019 Legislative Session. The first order of business this session will be for committees to get to work on a two-year budget. State budget officials projected a $1.54 billion budgetary balance for the upcoming two-year budget cycle, but nearly half of this balance is only available for one-time spending and experts are predicting a slowing economy in the near future. It is more important now than ever to recognize that any new spending and tax cuts must be balanced. Protecting our state’s finances from future instability is the prudent choice as we anticipate slower economic growth ahead.
In the work of setting a new two-year budget, I am committed to work to build the state all Minnesotans deserve with high-quality education, affordable and accessible health care, and increasing support for working families. Here are some of the many issues I expect to work on in 2019:
- Tax conformity: State lawmakers historically have revised state tax law to align with federal policy, but Minnesota lawmakers were unable to reach a deal earlier this year to dovetail with the huge federal tax bill passed last year by Congress. Since the state’s tax code does not align with federal codes, it could cause confusion come tax filing season.
- Bringing down the cost of health care: Many of my Senate colleagues believe one way to accomplish this is to allow Minnesotans to “buy in” to the existing MinnesotaCare program. MinnesotaCare is a successful bipartisan program created more than 20 years ago. Since 1992, MinnesotaCare has offered high-quality, lower-cost health coverage for more than 100,000 Minnesotans who meet income eligibility requirements. The MinnesotaCare Buy-In is a cost-effective solution because the program would be funded by the premiums of those who buy coverage and would require no ongoing costs for Minnesota taxpayers. This is a good investment that would give Minnesotans more options for high-quality, affordable health care at clinics and hospitals across the state.
- Paid family leave and affordable child care: Working families deserve a chance to succeed, and paid leave is a fair, commonsense solution to help Minnesota workers take care of themselves and their families. The Senate must also find ways to make high-quality child care more affordable and accessible to all Minnesota families. I have signed on as a co-author of the Paid Family Leave proposal in the Senate and I am hopeful businesses, families, and care providers will work together with us to find solutions to benefit all Minnesotans.
- Stable funding for transportation: Minnesota keeps falling further behind in providing stable investments in the state’s roads, bridges, and transit systems. One-time money and borrowing for projects are not sustainable – Minnesotans need a long-term solution. Many in the Senate have been outspoken in their opposition to gas tax increases but as recently as 2015 indicated an interest in reforming tab fees to increase transportation revenue. Governor Tim Walz and numerous legislators like myself continue to express support for raising Minnesota’s gas tax to better address the state’s infrastructure needs; the gas tax was last increased in 2008.
Sincerely,
Melisa
Regent interviews underway
The Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC) interviewed 24 potential candidates to fill four vacancies on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. RCAC members are set to vote on finalists on Jan. 11, 2019.
The 24-member RCAC will recommend two to four finalists to the Joint House-Senate Legislative Committee of the Higher Education Committees. The joint committee will then select one candidate to forward onto the joint house-senate convention. The joint house and senate committee must meet by Feb. 28, 2019 to recommend candidates to the full Legislature for a full vote.
