Friends and neighbors,
For better or worse, the 2023 legislative session has come to an end. This was my first year working for this district from the minority, and I am thrilled to report that through relationship building, respectful negotiations and persistence, I was still able to deliver millions of dollars for this wonderful community.
While I am happy for some legislative victories, there were several reasons I was deeply disappointed for our state. As the 2023 legislative session kicked off, I highlighted how the needs of Minnesota families must be prioritized. With skyrocketing inflation affecting all parts of a family’s budget, our focus must be to provide hardworking Minnesotans with meaningful tax relief. However, I am extremely disappointed to share that this session closed with no permanent tax relief, but instead, Minnesotans will face tax and fee increases around every corner.
This session began with a nearly $18 billion budget surplus. Yet it concluded with more than $9 billion in tax increases and a 38% increase to our state budget. This is the largest budget growth in state history. With such a massive surplus, it is unacceptable that we were unable to pass ongoing tax relief for hardworking Minnesotans.
All session long, I have been in favor of a robust bonding bill that delivers for not just our community, but for our whole state. When the Senate first heard this legislation back in March, every Republican voted ‘no’ because we knew we could do better. I am elated to see the final version passed by the Senate not only covers more projects, but thanks to our negotiations, also delivers $300 million in funding to keep our nursing homes open. This legislation got meaningfully stronger when it truly became bipartisan. It now provides additional money for water projects, roads, bridges, and projects of great importance to communities throughout Minnesota.
The original bonding bill only gave Carver County $3.76 million for Highway 18 improvements. Through relationship building and negotiations, I am thrilled to announce the new bonding bill delivered much more for our district. Now, our community will receive the full $10 million for the state’s portion of the Carver County State-Aid Highway 18 improvements.
The City of Cologne will also receive $1.06 million in start money for the Cologne wastewater treatment facility. The City’s current wastewater treatment facility is over 25 years old, and this funding will help make urgent upgrades to accommodate the community’s growth.
Finally, the Downtown Chaska revitalization project received $5.4 million. The City of Chaska will use this funding for the City Square West redevelopment project, which will have a mix of residential, retail and plaza space. I know the City Square West will be a place where our neighbors will live, work and enjoy our beautiful downtown, and this funding will be integral to making our community’s vision a reality.
I am also pleased to share another end-of-session victory for our community. During the final weekend of session, the Minnesota Senate approved a transportation budget that includes legislation I authored to provide $20 million for key Highway 5 improvements.
This portion of Highway 5 has a crash rate that is 2.5 times the state average and often experiences heavy traffic. By expanding this corridor to 4 lanes, we will significantly reduce crashes and improve traffic operations. Though I am happy to see my Carver County Highway 5 improvements project included, I was unable to support the transportation budget due to the heavy burden it will have on Minnesota taxpayers. This legislation alone imposes $2.77 billion in tax increases on Minnesotans, including a gas tax increase tied to inflation, license tab fee increases, delivery fees for mobile and internet purchases, and a sales tax increase.
Despite being in the minority, I am honored to continue to deliver for our community. It is a privilege to raise my three sons here, to be your neighbor, and to serve you in the State Senate. I will continue to show up every day and give it my all for this district and this state. Keep an eye out for open office hours announcements. In the meantime, if you’d ever like to get a cup of coffee and talk about your priorities, please don’t hesitate to reach out at sen.julia.coleman@senate.mn. My door is always open.
Sincerely,
Julia