Greetings from the Capitol in St. Paul! We are already running full steam ahead here at the Capitol for our second week of session. Though our session is short this time around, there is no shortage of issues taking center stage here at the Capitol. In addition to the usual focus on building a Capital Investment bill, we are continuing to work on issues brought forward last session such as the Bullying bill, competing Minimum Wage bills, and determining how to use the state’s budget surplus.

THE BUDGET SURPLUS
Last year, Governor Dayton and the Democrats in the legislature took nearly $500 in new taxes for every man, woman, and child in Minnesota. Considering this exorbitant tax increase, it is no surprise that the state now has a budget surplus of $1 billion. This money belongs in the pockets of hardworking Minnesota taxpayers. The state surplus is nothing more than proof that Minnesotans are being over-taxed and the only fair thing to do now is to reverse these tax increases and give Minnesotans their money back. It’s time Minnesotans, not the government, have a surplus in their budget. For this reason, I will be supporting the Minnesota “Give It Back” Act, a package developed by my Republican colleagues that would enact policies aimed at returning tax dollars to hardworking Minnesotans including: full, retroactive repeal of Democrats’ 2013 business-to-business taxes, elimination of the marriage penalty, adoption tax & full conformity to the federal personal income tax code, and undoing the Democrats’ 2013 death tax. Rather than increasing government spending, the money from this surplus needs to be returned to the taxpayers it was taken from. Minnesotans deserve to get their billion back.

HF 826, the controversial “Bullying Bill” has stalled in the Senate Finance Committee
HF 826, the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act, also known as the “Bullying bill” was scheduled to be heard by the Senate Finance committee Thursday morning. However, the bill was unexpectedly pulled from the agenda at the last minute for reasons that were unclear. This is most likely a sign that there was not enough support to pass it out of the finance committee and/or on the Senate floor. This bill aims to address bullying in Minnesota public schools by utilizing a statewide mandate that involves oversight by the Minnesota Department of Education. Many have raised concerns and questions over the measure, pointing out that it includes vague and sweeping definitions of what constitutes bullying and that it will tie the hands of teachers and administrators with legal red tape. Further, the bill provides no new funding for the public schools that will have to implement this new mandate, which the Minnesota Management and Budget agency estimates will cost schools $20 million every year.

The Minimum Wage bill conference committee is back at it
Last session, the full Senate passed a bill to increase the minimum wage paid by large employers from $6.15 to $7.25, which matches current federal law. The proposal then increases the minimum wage even more to $7.50 on August 1, 2014 and $7.75 on August 1, 2015. The House proposal includes an increase to $9.00/$9.50 and the governor has said that he would sign a bill that would raise the minimum wage as high as $9.50. Currently, a conference committee is working to resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The first major point of disagreement is the size of the wage increase; the House wants a raise to $9.50 and the Senate wants a raise to $7.75. The second and more contentious point of disagreement continues to be a provision that automatically adjusts the minimum wage to inflation in future years, which is only written into the House version of the bill. Senate conference committee members say they will not budge on nixing the inflation index, but will agree to the higher wage of $9.50.

INVESTING IN MINNESOTA’S FUTURE
We are currently working hard in the Senate to complete a 2014 Capital Investment bill. Every biennium, a Capital Investment bill is put together to help develop Minnesota’s future by making prudent investments in higher education and state infrastructure. I have been working hard to ensure that the investments our community needs are included in this year’s Capital Investment bill. Some of the projects in our community that I am working to secure funding for include the St. Cloud Civic Center expansion, the Beaver Island Trail extension, the Lake Woebegon Trail development, and the renovation of St. Cloud State University’s Eastman Hall.

CAPITOL CONSTRUCTION
Construction at the Capitol is in full-swing which has caused some difficulty for visitors trying to navigate the areas being worked on. If you will be visiting the Capitol and have questions on how to navigate the construction, please click here to be brought to an informational webpage for visitors seeking navigation assistance. This website, created by the Minnesota State Council on Disability has been monitoring the Capitol construction and will be updating this site as construction progresses.
KEEP IN TOUCH
During this legislative session we will work to keep you informed. Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to your friends and neighbors, encouraging them to subscribe by going to my Senate page and typing in their e-mail into the “subscribe” bar. The same process can be used to unsubscribe from this mailing list. Follow this link to subscribe. You can also e-mail my legislative assistant at tricia.ellis@senate.mn to sign up. We will always welcome your ideas, questions, and comments. You can also find me on Twitter (@Senjohnpederson) and Facebook. Please call or write any time.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve our District in St. Paul!

John Pederson
27 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
sen.john.pederson@senate.m