| For Immediate Release |
| March 31, 1999 |
SAINT PAUL -- The Minnesota House of Representatives took a dramatic step in curbing the growth of government spending this week when they approved the House budget resolution. The measure, approved on a voice vote, limits state government spending growth to 4.8 percent compared to a nearly 18 percent increase in the last budget resolution.
"The budget resolution is a tremendous and monumental step in the right direction of curbing government spending and growth," House Speaker Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon) said. "The resolution allows for spending increases in the areas facing the most need such as K-12 education, early childhood and health care, but counters some of that growth with reductions in state government itself."
The Republican budget plan, according to Sviggum, is able to take care of spending priorities and still deliver a $2.2 billion permanent tax cut in addition to a one-time $1.8 billion tax rebate.
"We have stood up for the working families of Minnesota all session," Sviggum said. "And we are going to continue to call for permanent tax cuts so moms and dads can keep more of their money instead of feeding it into the bureaucratic spending machine that state government has become.
The 4.8 percent increase will provide schools additional funding for growing student enrollments and provide the state per-pupil funding formula with its first real-dollar increase in nearly a decade. The budget also calls for increased resources for the developmentally disabled and nursing homes.
"We have kept faith with our words to Minnesota families during the campaign last fall," Sviggum said. "We have reduced the growth in government spending by tremendous amounts, and have begun to turn the wayward steamship of spending slowly back toward a more normal and responsible course."
Minnesota state spending has increased a whopping 163.8 percent (including inflation) in the past 12 years. Because Minnesota families are among the highest taxed in the nation, the state was still able to rack up record-setting surpluses at the same time.
"The budget we have laid forth takes care of education, the disabled, our state's senior residents, and still has plenty of money left over for the working families of this state to receive the permanent tax cuts they so rightfully deserve."
"The bottom of line of the House budget is that is provides for a record $2.2 billion tax cut for working Minnesota families, holds the rate of spending growth over the two years to 4.8 percent (about the rate of inflation of two years) and it allows for some spending priorities in a compassionate way," said Sviggum.