Senate Republicans unveil agenda focused on access, affordability, and accountability
When Gov. Walz announced his budget proposal in February it left a lot to be desired. His budget increased spending to record levels, while asking Minnesotans to foot the bill. He nearly doubled the gas tax. He increased countless fees, including license tab fees. And He kept the $1 billion sick tax that you pay every time you go to the doctor.
Republicans have committed to doing things differently. On March 28, we rolled out a budget that focuses on things that will improve your life. Our budget aims to give you better access to crucial necessities like child care and less expensive health insurance; our budget wants to make it more affordable for you to live your life; and our budget wants to restore accountability in government after a string of failures like MNLARS and MNsure.
As part of the budget rollout, we launched a website to help keep you informed about our agenda. This website breaks down spending for each issue area and discusses some of our specific priorities. You can visit it here: http://www.mnsenaterepublicans.com/budget.
I wanted to go over a couple of the issues that I get asked about frequently.
E-12 Education: Republicans believe all Minnesota students deserve an education that prepares them for the jobs of tomorrow. In 2017, Republicans funded historic commitments to Minnesota’s schools when we increased K-12 funding by $1.3 billion, including 2% annual increases to the per pupil formula. In 2019, we’ll build on that commitment with a budget that will give you better access to quality schools through stronger local control, provide more information to parents, and make sure the best teachers are in the classroom.
Our budget target is $19.6 billion – an increase of $843 million from the last budget. This funding hike includes an increase to the per pupil formula. In addition, we’ll bring stronger accountability to schools through reforms that improve instruction and close the achievement gap.
We also want to give you peace of mind that your child will be safe and secure when they attend class. Last year the Senate approved funding to help schools make school safety improvements. This year, we’ll invest $75 million into that successful program. In addition, we’ll give teachers the training and resources they need to help students process their mental health challenges.
Transportation: As the vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, I know that you expect hassle-free commutes and safe bridges. When we constructed the last state budget, we made transportation a priority. In fact, we invested so much into roads and bridges that MnDOT can’t spend the money fast enough. Over the next two years, roughly $8.12 billion will be dedicated to transportation in Minnesota including roads, bridges, transit, and transportation debt. The funding comes from current gas tax revenue, bonding, tab fees and the general fund. In addition, our transportation funding system will receive over $530 million in increased state revenue over the next two years under current law due to automatic increases in the system.
Most importantly, our budget funds roads and bridges without asking you to pay a cent more in gas taxes, tab fees, or motor vehicle sales taxes.
Finally, a top Republican priority is my bill to provide $13 million to help deputy registrars get back on their feet after suffering serious financial losses due to the MNLARS disaster. Holding the administration accountable for MNLARS improvements is also a top priority for 2019.
I’d love to hear your feedback about our budget proposal, so please contact me at 651-296-0284 or sen.john.jasinski@senate.mn.