This column was originally published in the Owatonna People’s Press.
Getting things done
One of the frustrations that drove my decision to run for the state Senate was my irritation and embarrassment about the way state government was functioning — or rather, not functioning. Every year seemed to bring more gridlock and bickering. Make no mistake, both parties have been at fault.
My goal was to change the status quo and make real progress on issues that Advance Minnesota. The plan was to get things done on time by setting our budget schedule nearly twice as early as what previous legislatures have done. This aggressive calendar was designed to force us to get the hardest work finished early in session and save plenty of time to hold civil, productive negotiations with Gov. Dayton in full view of the public.
Over the last few weeks we’ve pushed ourselves with early mornings, long nights, and very few breaks in order to honor our commitments. It was a lot of work but we actually finished passing our budget bills ahead of schedule. And as a bonus, they received bipartisan support.
For me, the most important part of our agenda is our $3.7 billion transportation bill. This issue is so critical that I dedicated my entire column two weeks ago to it. Our bill would rebuild or replace nearly 9,000 lane miles and 200 bridges throughout Minnesota, with an extra $148 million this biennium for cities, counties, and townships to meet their specific road and bridge needs. Crucially for our area, we provide $90 million for the Highway 14 expansion. I’ve made no secret this is my top legislative priority, and though there’s still work to be done, I’ll keep pushing every step of the way to make sure Highway 14 is taken care of.
The other top priority for Senate Republicans has been tax relief. Rates have not been cut since 2000, but since then we’ve watched gas taxes, sales taxes, and income taxes increase. It’s long past time your family, and working families across Minnesota, get some relief. Our $900 million bill reduces taxes for every Minnesota taxpayer, targeted to low-and-middle-income families who need it the most. It also includes tax relief for farmers, property taxpayers, schools, teachers, and much more.
Now that our budget bills have passed, the next phase is negotiations with the governor and the House. One reason for the end of session gridlock of previous years is that everything was done under an enormous time crunch. There are differences between our bills, as you would expect when 201 legislators all have separate priorities they want included, but this year we wanted to leave plenty of time to work with the House, listen to the governor’s concerns and incorporate our best ideas.
The working relationship we’ve developed with the House and Gov. Dayton so far this session has been productive. We have created a level of trust and mutual respect, and I’m optimistic the foundation we have built will put us in a strong position to finish our work on time.