Kiscaden: Legislative Update 3
02/08/2005
Greetings from St. Paul!
The weeks of our legislative session are very busy and as a result fly by for legislators. Now that we are starting our sixth week, we are beginning to deal with the budget and committees are active, so we are having full floor sessions and debates on policy bills. Here are the topics in this update:
1- Gambling with Our Future or a Sure Bet?
2- 100,000 Foot Overview of the Governor’s Budget
3- Concerned About Education? Attend Thursday Hearing in Rochester
4- Suggestions, Observations, Concerns?
1- Gambling with Our Future or a Sure Bet?
The role of legislators, and all elected officials, is to study and debate issues, then make decisions on behalf of the citizens they represent. Faced with these decisions, every elected official struggles to know what citizens truly prefer. Elected officials like me know that citizen’s views often differ from officeholder’s views, and citizens often underestimate their own potential to use their voice, and to have power to affect the decisions we elected officials make.
The Legislature has been in session for over a month, the State of the State address has been delivered, the Governor has presented his budget proposal, and legislative committees are now beginning detailed budget reviews while we wait for the February economic forecast. Now is a key time for citizens to get involved in our legislative discussions.
When governmental bodies establish their budgets, it isn’t just about dollars and cents; it is about setting priorities, goals, and long-term focus. The state sets a two-year budget which affects the operations of schools, nursing homes and other health care services, parks and recreational services, research and business development, agriculture and the environment, public safety and transportation. The state’s budget affects everyone’s pocketbook, whether you are a business owner, an employee, a retiree, or a student.
Everyone has a stake in the decisions the Legislature (and other units of government) make, and everyone has the right to participate in shaping those decisions. Yet, as recent letters to the editor reveal, too often the elected officials feel that they hear from very few people, and, at the same time, the public feels that even when they do speak, their voices are not heard, or what they say does not change things.
How can we spark a change in our community’s public life? How can we have elected officials and citizens listen to one another, discuss the issues, and bring new practices to public life and politics? One group of local people is working to create a new approach, and you and I are invited to participate.
Modeled on the successful community discussions that have been held for twenty years in Panama City, Florida, the goal is to have people come together and talk with one another face-to-face, exploring options and weighing views. Citizens define what they consider to be in the public interest and find common ground. Officeholders are invited to listen, become better informed, and participate on equal footing with the citizens they represent.
Sponsored by eight community organizations, our area’s first “Coffee and Conversation” will be held Saturday, February 26 from 8:30- 10:30 AM at Mayo High School. The February topic of conversation is “Expansion of Gambling; Problem or Solution to the State’s Budget Deficit?”
This event, including the coffee, is free and open to the public. There are many proposals to expand gambling venues in Minnesota to help pay for public services as an alternative to raising taxes. Do you think that would be a good idea, a sure bet, or do you think it is gambling with our future?
Come have a cup of coffee and let’s talk about what you think Minnesota should do.
For more information about “Coffee and Conversation” events plus background information on gambling, visit the Rochester Neighborhood Association website: http://www.rneighbors.org/C&C.htm .
You can bet I will be there, and I hope you will come, too.
2- 100,000 Foot Overview of the Governor’s Budget
Two weeks ago the Governor released his $29.7 billion budget proposal, which House and Senate Committees have now begun reviewing. Here is the 100,000 foot overview. He proposes:
- $476 million in new spending/priorities.
- $426 million in spending cuts or reallocations, including a 5% rate cut to hospitals and moving $220 million from the 2% provider (or “sick tax") Health Care Access Fund to the General Fund, reductions in rates to community pharmacies, and $70 million in reductions to Child Care Facilities.
- $338 million in increased revenues: including new fees, advanced payment of taxes for leased cars and trucks, continuing some taxes that were scheduled to sunset, changing the basis of the cigarette tax, increased tax compliance efforts.
- $200 million in new gaming revenue from a new metro-area casino which he proposes the State establish.
The most controversial of the Governor’s proposals are 1) his budget is not balanced and relies on $200 million from a new casino, 2) his education proposals do not recognize increased enrollment in higher education and are projected to result in a 6-10% tuition increase, 3) he acknowledges K-12 education budget proposal will result in increased property taxes, 4) to reduce spending in the Health and Human Services budget, he proposes taking several thousand working adults off of MinnesotaCare, and makes cuts to child care, pharmacy purchasing and hospitals.
You can get detailed information about the Governor’s budget proposals on-line.
Check out these sites: Department of Finance for a broad overview and the complete budget: http://www.finance.state.mn.us
Nearly every department also has information on their websites about the specific budget proposals for their areas of responsibility. For example, budget details are available on the websites of the two biggest departments: the Department of Education and the Department of Human Services: Here are their websites: http://education.state.mn.us/html/mde_home.htm and http://www.dhs.state.mn.us
3- Concerned About Education? Attend Thursday Hearing in Rochester
Now that the Governor has released his education budget and laid out plans in his State of the State, a public forum on E-12 Education has been scheduled in Rochester this coming Thursday, February 10th at 6:30 PM at Kellogg Middle School Auditorium.
Committee Chairs Senators Steve Kelley and LeRoy Stumpf are bringing members of the Senate Education Policy and Education Finance Committees to Rochester to give interested residents from our area a chance to advise the Legislature about their community schools and the issues they face.
With the intention of providing our region with an opportunity to foster broad influence,
legislators serving in the House and Senate from communities within forty miles of Rochester have been invited: Austin, Red Wing, Winona, Owatonna and Rochester have been invited to attend. Legislators from both parties have been invited, including Senators Steve Murphy, Dick Day, Dan Sparks, Dave Senjem, Bob Kierlin and myself. State representatives invited include: Reps. Connie Ruth, Patti Fritz, Jeanne Poppe, Dan Dorman, Jerry Dempsey, Steve Sviggum, Randy Demmer, Fran Bradley, Tina Liebling, Andy Welti, Gene Pelowski and Greg Davids.
I encourage you to weigh in with your comments, concerns, and ideas. Because of a scheduling conflict, I will be arriving a little late to the hearing, but I hope to see many of you at the meeting. Once again, the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Kellogg Middle School Auditorium, 503 17th St.
For further information about the meeting or to get on the list of those who wish to testify, please contact Senator Stumpf’s office at: 651-296-8660
4- Suggestions, Observations, Concerns?
I always welcome hearing from you, so please feel free to send me your comments, suggestions, or views on issues. I read my email every day, and I will respond to constituents*but please be patient, it sometimes takes me a while.
Have a great week!
Sheila
Senator Sheila Kiscaden
District 30
325 Capitol
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-296-4848