Soon, the Legislature will be back in session. We have an opportunity to assist Minnesotans through tax relief, transportation funding, and education reform.
We have a forecasted $1.2 billion surplus; legislators have a duty to taxpayers to provide you with tax relief. The tax bill that is currently in conference committee would give this much-needed relief to senior citizens, recent college grads, our military veterans, and small business owners. If you feel like you’ve been paying too much in taxes, you probably have. Our expanding surplus gives us a chance to deliver assistance.
The transportation bill will also begin in conference committee. The focus of the plan I supported in 2015 was on repairing and expanding our roads and bridges. We must ensure safe, drivable roads throughout the state. The good news is that proper funding can happen WITHOUT raising taxes. Our $7 billion proposal over the next 10 years did not require raising taxes, rather, using existing revenue streams to dedicate to our roads and bridges.
Like last year, education will be a point of discussion during session. We have a chance to further the education reforms and funding from 2015 that produced changes to teacher licensure to attract a greater number of experienced educators to Minnesota, added $525 million in new E-12 funding, and provided more early education scholarships to help lessen the achievement gap. I’m proud of these reforms, and look forward to continuing to work for our schools.
As we approach the upcoming session, I’d love to hear from you, the people of Lakeville, on issues that matter most to you. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if you’d like to schedule a visit, or just to pass along a recommendation.