Tag: Rep. Rosenthal

Rep. Paul Rosenthal (49B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

I wanted to take a moment to give a brief update from the Capitol. Only two days remain in the 2017 legislative session and a budget solution seems elusive. Republican legislative leaders decided to move forward with their own budget bills, abandoning compromise with the Governor after he made a half way offer to the Legislature.  The Legislative Majority and Governor continue their work through the weekend; I hope an honest and fair budget can be accomplished for the good of our state and all Minnesotans.  I’ve been working with my colleagues who serve on conference committees to share my concerns about the budget.  Compromise is key and I’ll continue to advocate for it at the Capitol. Continue reading “Rep. Paul Rosenthal Update: May 20, 2017”

Rep. Paul Rosenthal (49B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

A week remains for the Legislature and the Governor to come together on the two year budget. Budget negotiations between Governor Dayton and the legislative majority leadership had been moving forward until late Monday night last week. The GOP legislative leaders then abruptly ended negotiations and finalized their bills, despite a guarantee of vetoes in their current versions from the Governor. These bills were regrettably passed with neither public hearings nor advanced notice. With no surprise, all ten of the budget bills were vetoed:  transportation finance bill; public safety and judiciary finance bill; jobs and energy finance bill; higher education finance bill; tax bill; agriculture finance bill; environment and natural resources finance bill; E-12 education finance bill; state government, military and veterans affairs finance bill; health and human services finance bill. Continue reading “Rep. Paul Rosenthal Update: May 16, 2017”

Rep. Paul Rosenthal (49B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

As we approach the session deadline of May 22, several budget bills remain unresolved.  Governor Dayton has been actively engaged with Speaker Daudt and Majority Leader Gazelka, specifying parameters for his budget preferences and detailing items that are not acceptable. In a letter sent to the press on Tuesday, all correspondence between the governor’s staff and legislators was listed. House Democrats are working toward a compromise budget in the next two weeks, but will not stand for policies that move the state backward and hurt Minnesotans. Continue reading “Rep. Paul Rosenthal Update: May 5, 2017”

Rep. Paul Rosenthal (49B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

The Easter/Passover Recess has concluded and we returned to our legislative work this week. The House and Senate majorities have passed their omnibus budget bills out of both chambers and conference committees have started meeting to sort out the differences between each body’s bills.  Although both chambers are GOP-controlled, several of the final House and Senate omnibus bills have fairly significant policy and finance differences.  One example is the Health and Human Services Omnibus bill.  The House version, which passed on the Friday before break, contains a $600 million cut and would eliminate MNSure.  The Senate’s cut is half of the House’s and keeps MNSure.  These differences are parallel to the current leadership styles in the Minnesota Legislature; you can read about these here. Continue reading “Rep. Paul Rosenthal Update: April 21, 2017”