Thank Your DFL Legislators

05/23/2007

The 2007 Minnesota Legislative Session has come to a close and we have much to celebrate. Our DFL majorities in both the Minnesota House and Senate stood firm on providing property tax relief, increasing necessary school funding, making health care more accessible, slowing college tuition increases and delivered a budget, on time! Please consider writing a letter to your local newspaper, to highlight the successes of our elected officials.

Take the opportunity to continue the conversation in your community about how our DFL leadership fought hard this session for what Minnesotans collectively value. Choose a specific focus from the talking points provided below, and in your own words, use a local angle to express thanks to our DFL leaders for their accomplishments. Feel free to name your DFL elected official, particularly if he or she is a first-termer, to convey support and gratitude for their efforts. Be sure to include your name, address, phone number and occupation.

The DFL-led Minnesota Legislature finished their work on time and realized top legislative priorities. These included a $794 million increase in funding for schools, providing $377 million in permanent property tax relief, increasing access to health care to an additional 53,000 Minnesotans (including 36,000 children) and limiting increases in college tuition costs compared to those in recent years.

Our elected officials passed the strongest Renewable Energy Standard in the country.

Our leaders successfully closed corporate tax loopholes, requiring that they pay their fair share of taxes like the rest of us.

The House and Senate sought bipartisan solutions and passed budget bills they felt the Governor would sign. Property taxes will still be too high and so will college tuition. More Minnesotans will still need health care, and we need a greater commitment to funding our schools from our Governor. We will continue to fight for common-sense priorities that benefit all Minnesotans.

Submit letters to the editor to the Star Tribune at or the Pioneer Press at .

To find contact info for your local paper, visit the Minnesota Newspaper Directory site at http://www.mnnews.com/a.html.

Find the name of your State Senators and Representatives by entering your address and zip code in the Minnesota District Finder, http://geo.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/districts/start.html.

Finally, send us a copy of the letter you submit to . We'd love to read your letter!

Thanks very much,

Donna

Donna Cassutt, Associate Chair,
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party