Representative Andy Welti April Legislative Update

04/26/2007

Hello Friends,

Last week the House of Representatives passed our major budget bills
out of the House. Now the bills are in conference committees and the
differences between the House and Senate bills are being negotiated.
This update provides you with an overview of the provisions contained in
the House budget bills.

Enjoy your week,
Andy

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Andy Welti
Minnesota State Representative
District 30B


Last week, the members of the House spent long hours on the floor debating and voting on several omnibus bills, large bills that include funding and policy provisions for major areas such as education, health care, agriculture and the environment. I thought it might be helpful to provide a brief look at the major components of these bills, especially the benefits they will provide to Greater Minnesota.

The Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans bill addresses the needs of Minnesota's agriculture industry, advances the state's renewable energy industry and significantly increases support for the nearly 3,000 Minnesota service members who will be returning home in the near future. The agriculture provisions of the bill include a 25% renewable goal for ALL energy (not just electricity) by the year 2025, instructions for the state's Agriculture Utilization Research Institute to continue statewide renewable energy coordination efforts via their "Renewable Energy Roundtable," increases to overall funding for agriculture, including dairy development and profitability grant programs, ag-related clean water research, invasive species monitoring and control, and funding to eradicate bovine TB. Specific veteran's components include funding for suicide prevention and psychological support for returning combat veterans, a 14% increase in funding for the State Soldier Assistance Program, increased funding for Veterans County Service Officer assistance grants to enhance programs provided to veterans, and extension of education benefits for the spouses of soldiers killed in action.

The Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Omnibus Bill (SF 2096) funds the clean up of Minnesota waters within the next ten years, improves trails, and addresses several critical emerging issues pertinent to water quality, invasive species, preservation and restoration of native prairies and addresses global warming.

The E-12 Education Bill offers a 3% increase in the statewide per pupil funding formula both this year and next year. Schools will also see significant increases for special education and technology investments, along with state funding for voluntary All-Day Kindergarten, and $125 million is appropriated for significant property tax relief through levy buy downs for school districts across the state, including Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Dover-Eyota, Chatfield, Stewartville and the Rochester Schools.

The Higher Education Bill reverses the trend of double-digit tuition increases by offering $24 million in scholarship programs and reduced tuition for low and middle-income U of M students, $60 million in financial aid, including $12 million in new money, the creation of pilot projects to explore the potential for textbook rental and other cost-saving options and offers post-secondary education help for Minnesota veterans. The bill will keep tuition increases under the rate of inflation, and freezes tuition at all MnSCU schools in 2009 so students will pay no increase at all! The bill also expands opportunities for rural high school students by funding the governor's Achieve II.

The Economic Development Workforce Policy and Finance Bill includes a broad variety of initiatives designed to tap into the growing bioscience and emerging technologies field, provides ongoing investments in affordable housing programs, makes needed reforms to improve conditions for Minnesota workers, and addresses the shortage of health care workers with an investment in health worker training.

The Health and Human Services Bill includes a provision that will cover all kids in Minnesota with health care coverage by 2011, initiates reform to attempt to lower the cost of health care for the 93% of Minnesotans who have insurance, and offers significant funding for nursing homes, including increasing the reimbursement rates for rural nursing homes and beginning the long-delayed process of reimbursing rural nursing homes for their actual costs.

To reign in government spending, I voted against the State Government bill that would have increased appropriations to the Secretary of State, State Auditor, and Legislature, beyond what I felt was necessary. I will continue to advocate that we control spending within our government's administrative offices.

These bills will now be compared with the Senate companion bills and differences will be worked out in conference committee before they move on to the governor for his signature or veto.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of this legislation. Email me at or call me at (888)-858-4753.