Friends and neighbors,
This week, the Senate majority unveiled budget targets for the 2019 session. This term sounds like inside baseball, but it is pretty simple: budget targets represent how much we plan to spend in notable issue areas.
Our budget focuses on making Minnesotan’s lives more affordable; improving access to necessities like safe schools, child care, and better roads; and making your Minnesota state government more accountable.
You can see how we accomplish this in each issue area by visiting our comprehensive website at http://www.mnsenaterepublicans.com/budget, but I wanted to walk you through a few of the areas I get asked about frequently:
Health and Human Services: Every Minnesotan should have access to high-quality healthcare at an affordable price, including those with pre-existing conditions.
Our budget will provide access to healthcare at an affordable cost for Minnesota families, farmers and businesses. We propose allowing families to choose their doctors and clinics through a Direct Primary Care initiative and curtailing waste from the “middleman” in drug pricing by regulating Pharmacy Benefit Managers. We will also push for transparency in drug pricing and hospital billing.
In 2017, the Senate majority saved the individual health insurance market and dramatically lowered premiums through the reinsurance program and extending it will keep healthcare affordable for families, farmers and self-employed business people.
Finally, we will insist on more accountability by putting a stop to the hundreds of millions of dollars of fraud and waste in our public healthcare, welfare, and childcare programs identified by the Legislative Auditor, especially when it comes to eligibility.
Childcare: Parents in Minnesota should be able to go to work every day knowing their children will be cared for in a high-quality childcare setting at a cost that won’t overwhelm the family budget.
Our budget will increase access to quality childcare for families in Minnesota by removing barriers to opening and running childcare businesses, especially in greater Minnesota. Several provisions are proposed to make starting and running a childcare business easier including a new easy reference guide, an ombudsman for childcare providers, grant funding and elimination of onerous rules and regulations.
We will also hold fraudulent childcare centers accountable so more money is available to families, making childcare more affordable.
Transportation: Minnesotans expect hassle-free driving on roads and bridges that are safe.
Our budget will provide greater access to clear and open roadways by continuing our commitment to funding roads and bridges using the sales tax revenue from transportation related items.
Over the next two years, roughly $8.12 billion will be dedicated to transportation in Minnesota including roads, bridges, transit and transportation debt. The funding comes from current gas tax revenue, bonding, tab fees and the general fund.
Our transportation funding system will receive over $530 million in increased state revenue over the next two years under current law due to automatic increases in the system.
We will keep transportation affordable for Minnesotans by resisting efforts to raise the gas tax, car tab fees, motor vehicles sales tax, and new sales taxes in the metro area.
Finally, we plan to spend $13 million in one-time funding to make deputy registrars whole for the financial losses they suffered during the failed rollout of MNLARS. Holding the administration accountable for MNLARS improvements is also a top priority for 2019.
I encourage you to read the rest at www.mnsenaterepublicans.com/budget. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. You can reach me at 651-296-5981 or sen.bruce.anderson@senate.mn.