Thank you to advocates and staff from AnnaMarie’s Alliance (pictured above) for recently meeting with me to discuss issues they face. This organization provides safety, shelter, support, and referral services to survivors of domestic violence and their children throughout central Minnesota. I appreciate the input I received during this meeting and support their efforts.
Dear Neighbor,
Before we get to legislative news, let’s do a quick shout-out to our farmers and other ag workers since National Agriculture Day was this week. The National Ag Day program was started in 1973 to increase the public awareness of agriculture’s vital role in our society. Click here for more on this program and, once again, thank you to people who work in the ag industry.
Also, congratulations to the Albany and EV-W boys basketball teams for reaching the state high school tournament this week. Good luck to Albany tonight in the semifinals. Great job!
In other news:
Budget “targets”
The House and Senate majorities and Gov. Tim Walz this week announced they have agreed to a spending plan that would increase Minnesota’s budget by almost $18 billion for the next two-year budget cycle. They are spending the $17.5 billion surplus – and more – which represents an increase of nearly 40 percent to the state’s current $52 billion General Fund spending, with a $71.9 billion total for the next biennium.
Tax relief accounts for just a small fraction of their budget proposal, and Democrat leaders have not committed to fully repealing the state tax on Social Security. Yet, despite a $17.5 billion surplus, the proposal includes tax increases (sales taxes and license tab fees are among them).
I will be back with more on this subject as we continue sorting through the details of this proposal.
Transportation funding
Safe roads and bridges are a core function of government – something we all can agree is a priority – which means it is crucial we maximize the impact of each dollar provided for transportation projects. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case.
For starters, a recent report issued by the Minnesota Legislative Auditor’s office highlights how the Met Council was not transparent on costs and didn’t hold its construction contractor accountable on the Southwest Light Rail project that is experiencing serious overruns in time and money. From a KSTP report:
“The project is a billion dollars over budget – more than double at this point – and has been a concern with lawmakers. It was supposed to be done by 2018 for $1.25 billion, and now it sits at $2.74 billion and is scheduled to be finished in 2027.”
There’s also this:
“The audit also states the Metropolitan Council was obligated to spend additional funds on the project for increased costs than what had already been committed because it didn’t have enough money to finish or halt the project.”
These developments are unacceptable and reveal how a lack of accountability and transparency are doing a disservice to taxpayers. Minnesotans deserve answers. These dollars could have improved miles and miles and miles of our state’s roads and bridges, but instead have been subject to waste. Now, the governor and House majority have put forward plans to continue increase mass-transit spending that is questionable at best.
Meanwhile, a recent MinnPost article highlights how a record number of Minnesota cities and counties are pursuing local sales tax hikes to, among other things, “fix a pothole problem, once and for all” as the article says.
Those potholes largely are a product of Minnesota’s winters, of which we have no control. But think of how much we could improve our roads and bridges even with just the overrun dollars the light rail project is costing taxpayers.
Have a good weekend and, as always, please let me know how I can help.
Sincerely,
Lisa