The Minnesota State Legislature reconvenes for the 2019 session on January 8, and we will have a lot on our plate. I will continue serving as the vice chair of the Transportation Committee, as well as on the Local Government Committee, the State Government Committee, and the Capital Investment Committee. I have also been appointed to serve on the E-12 education committee, which is a new committee for me this year.
In addition, I will take on two new responsibilities as assistant majority leader and as majority whip. I am excited my colleagues trusted me to serve in these new roles, which will give me more influence to deliver the best possible results for Senate District 24 and the people of Minnesota.
We will have a full agenda this session. Here are a few of the subjects that will be on our to-do list.
State budget: The biggest task of the 2019 legislative session will be constructing a complete, balanced state budget. I look forward to listening to the ideas offered by Gov. Walz’s ideas and the House. While I am willing to listen and compromise, the budget must adhere to a few principles in order to gain my support. Namely, I won’t support new tax increases that hurt Minnesota families, like the gas tax or tab fees. The budget must also use taxpayer dollars responsibly and sustainably; I can’t support reckless spending increases.
Child care costs: We are experiencing a child care crisis in Minnesota. Costs are through the roof in every area of the state, and in greater Minnesota access to affordable child care – or any child care at all – is a growing concern. Addressing this crisis will be one of our top priorities.
Health care costs: Over the last two years we brought the individual market back from the brink of disaster, but if you purchase through an employer chances are you feel like your premiums are still too high. We’ll work on reforms that focus on transparency so you have better information, competition to drive down costs, and affordability for the consumer.
Roads and Bridges: As the Transportation Committee vice chair, this issue remains a top personal priority. I am proud of what we did to rebuild Minnesota’s transportation infrastructure over the last two years; we invested more money into roads and bridges throughout the state, fairly divided between the metro and greater Minnesota, than any time in the last decade – and we did it without raising the gas tax or tab fees. However, both sides agree that we need a permanent, long-term solution to our transportation infrastructure problem. While I won’t support a gas tax increase, there are plenty of existing revenue sources that can get the job done, such as dedicating a portion of existing sales tax revenue from auto parts.
Government waste and accountability: We have seen so many examples of waste, fraud, and abuse in state government over the last few years that it is almost difficult to keep track of them all. Whether it was the MNLARS debacle, rampant elder care abuse, the child care fraud scandal, the MNsure disaster, $30 million in uncollected MinnesotaCare premiums, problems with Minnesota’s technology agency, or any one of dozens of other examples, it is clear that state government badly needs to be cleaned up. We have been working on some of these during the interim, but this will be one of our top issues as session begins.
These ideas are just a starting point. Please remember that ultimately I work for you, and I would love to hear any ideas, comments, questions, or concerns that are on your mind. Please feel free to contact me any time at sen.john.jasinski@senate.mn or 651-296-0284.
It is a privilege serving as your state senator.
Senator John Jasinski
District 24
This column originally ran in the Owatonna People’s Press.