In my first term as your representative, I expected to face significant challenges. However, an unprecedented $6.4 billion budget shortfall made this session one of the most difficult in Minnesota history.
For the most part, the Legislature and Governor Pawlenty worked well together. The Governor signed most of our bills, enacting provisions to protect K-12 and early childhood education, preserve public safety, create jobs, and support veterans. I was proud to sponsor some of the earliest bills he signed, including one to reduce the risk of shaken baby syndrome in young children and another to improve Minnesota’s lakes.
Unfortunately, we were unable to reach agreement on a final budget. Both sides proposed budget cuts to close the shortfall (the House proposed more cuts than the Governor), and both agreed that cuts alone would cause too much long-lasting damage to our state.
The primary disagreement surrounded what kind of new revenue is most responsible and fair. The Governor proposed borrowing $1 billion in one-time money, and paying it back over 20 years at an additional cost of between $600 – $800 million. As a fiscal conservative, I’ve been dismayed by “borrow and spend” practices by the federal government, and could not in good conscience support a similar plan for Minnesota. By the same token, I voted against an early revenue- raising bill that reached too deeply into Minnesota families’ pockets, only favoring a more modest and responsible “pay-as you go” introduced later in the session.
Without consensus on a balanced-budget plan, the Governor will use the process of unallotment to balance the budget. To do so, he will need to cut about $3 billion, and has signaled his intention to focus largely on health and human services. He has already cut a program that provides funding for the state’s sickest and poorest citizens and the hospitals that care for them. Further cuts of millions or more from this budget area could devastate health care institutions statewide, forcing them to eliminate services and jobs. These changes will drive up health care costs for everyone and diminish overall quality of care.
As details of the unallotment plans are released, I’ll continue working with citizens and local officials to ensure we understand the nature of the cuts and to help minimize the impact on our community and our state.
