A
weekly
message
from
your
Senator
Dear
Constituents
and
Friends,
With
just
three
weeks
left
in
the
2017
Session,
Senate
and
House
Republicans
released
budget
numbers
on
April
28
that
move
more
than
$200
million
further
away
from
Governor
Dayton’s
budget.
Instead
of
using
the
current
budget
forecast,
they
use
budget
numbers
from
last
year
and
argue
their
numbers
are
budget
increases.
This
type
of
accounting
does
not
add
up
and
is
a
step
backwards
in
reaching
an
honest
conclusion
to
the
legislative
session.
These
budget
targets
and
tax
cut
spending
proposals
are
extremely
disappointing.
This
budget
takes
us
dangerously
close
to
bringing
the
state
back
into
decades
of
budget
deficits.
In
light
of
the
$1.6
billion
surplus
(less
if
you
count
inflation),
the
proposed
cuts
to
many
state
budgets
will
affect
the
ability
to
care
for
vulnerable
Minnesotans
and
supporting
our
schools.
The
$300
million
education
bill
proposal
has
already
prompted
some
schools
to
begin
laying
off
teachers.
At
a
time
when
our
state
is
experiencing
economic
prosperity
it
is
inexcusable
to
be
making
inadequate
investments
in
our
public
schools.
In
addition,
the
budget
defies
Gov.
Dayton’s
top
priority
by
not
including
any
new
funding
for
early
education
and
continues
on
a
path
for
private
school
vouchers,
which
I
cannot
support.
The
proposed
funding
levels
for
the
education
bill
will
force
schools
to
make
the
unenviable
decision:
seek
to
increase
local
levies
(which
translates
to
higher
property
taxes)
or
cut
programs.
By
proposing
$1.15
billion
in
tax
spending
for
business
property
taxes
(I
support
a
more
modest
amount),
without
giving
relief
to
middle
income
Minnesotans
we
are
putting
our
state’s
budget
and
future
economic
prosperity
in
jeopardy.
After
giving
insurance
companies
more
than
$900
million
earlier
this
session
with
no
strings
attached,
the
budget
targets
advocate
for
more
than
$500
million
in
cuts
to
our
state’s
most
vulnerable,
once
again
masking
the
severity
of
this
cut
through
dishonest
math,
shifts,
and
gimmicks
in
a
time
of
surplus.
By
using
one-time
money
for
ongoing
programs
and
shifting
payments
out
into
the
future,
these
irresponsible
budget
decisions
will
make
these
cuts
even
more
expensive
in
the
future.
After
being
criticized
by
Minnesota’s
Chief
Justice,
the
judiciary
budget
is
more
of
the
same.
Underfunding
a
branch
of
government
during
a
time
of
state
prosperity
is
unconscionable.
The
higher
education
budget
moves
further
way
from
the
Governor
and
short-changes
students
by
not
adequately
funding
core
academic
programs
to
maintain
educational
quality
at
campuses
across
the
state.
Under
this
budget
students
will
be
paying
more
for
college
and
amass
more
debt
that
they
cannot
afford.
I
am
very
disturbed
with
the
unsustainable
budget
targets
announced
today
and
I
will
work
with
the
Governor
to
make
sure
government
will
work
for
all
Minnesotans.
Please
continue
to
share
your
thoughts
and
concerns
with
me
as
we
get
closer
to
wrapping
up
the
2017
legislative
session.
Sincerely,
Melisa
Elections
bill
would
suppress
Minnesotans’
right
to
vote
A
partisan
Omnibus
Elections
Bill
has
passed
a
fifth
committee
and
is
on
to
the
Senate
Floor.
The
bill
would
impose
provisional
ballots
in
Minnesota
for
anyone
with
a
challenged
status
at
the
polls.
Sometimes
a
voter’s
information
can
be
incorrect
at
the
polls
or
a
voter
can
be
mistaken
for
another
person
who
is
ineligible
to
vote.
In
these
cases,
a
voter
is
allowed
to
testify
under
oath
that
they
are
eligible,
and
then
cast
their
vote.
The
proposed
bill
would
repeal
this
ability
and
require
challenged
voters
to
cast
a
provisional
ballot.
While
most
states
have
provisional
ballots,
Minnesota
does
not
because
same-day
voter
registration
is
available.
In
the
2012
Presidential
Election,
more
than
a
quarter
of
the
provisional
votes
cast
nationwide
were
never
counted.
(S.F.
514)
Will
the
Real
ID
conference
committee
pass
a
clean
bill?
It’s
coming
down
to
crunch
time.
Starting
January
2018,
Minnesotans
will
need
Real
ID
licenses
to
get
on
an
aircraft,
otherwise
they'll
need
to
show
a
passport
to
board.
Real
ID-compliant
driver’s
licenses
are
already
required
to
gain
access
to
certain
federal
facilities,
military
bases,
and
nuclear
power
plants.
Both
the
House
and
the
Senate
have
passed
their
versions
of
the
Real
ID
bill
and
the
joint
conference
committee
is
working
on
what
path
Minnesota
will
take
to
comply
with
the
federal
rules.
The
Senate
bill
does
not
contain
unnecessary
and
duplicative
language
regarding
non-compliant
licenses
for
undocumented
immigrants.
In
contrast,
the
House
bill
requires
applicants
to
demonstrate
lawful
status
even
to
obtain
a
non-compliant license.
This
language
is
unnecessary
to
implement
Real
ID.
Undocumented
immigrants
are
already
unable
to
receive
driver’s
licenses
in
Minnesota
due
to
a
2003
administrative
rule.
The
intent
and
the
direction
of
the
Senate
is
to
send
a
neutral
bill
to
the
Governor
and
not
mix
immigration
and
the
issuance
of
Real
ID
together.
(SF
166/ HF
3)
Omnibus
Legacy
bill
passes
Senate,
moves
next
to
conference
committee
The
omnibus
legacy
bill
was
approved
Monday
by
the
full
Senate
on
a
vote
of
52-12.
The
bill
appropriates
biennial
funding
of
$529
million
from
the
four
legacy
funds
established
by
the
“Legacy
Amendment”
that
was
approved
by
Minnesota’s
voters
in
2008.
The
bill
maintains
the
recommendations
of
the
Lessard-Sams
Outdoor
Heritage
Council
for
appropriations
from
the
outdoor
heritage
fund,
retains
the
current
40:40:20
distribution
for
parks
and
trails
(40%
to
the
DNR
for
state
parks
and
trails,
40%
to
the
Metropolitan
Council
for
metro
area
parks
and
trails,
and
20%
to
greater
Minnesota
parks
and
trails),
and
establishes
an
ongoing
5%
fund
balance
in
each
of
the
four
funds.
The
bill
faces
strong
opposition
from
a
number
of
environmental
groups
and
clean
water
advocates,
who
are
concerned
about
the
clean
water
fund
portion
of
the
bill
that
shifts
$22
million
in
grants
to
the
state’s
90
soil
and
water
conservation
districts
to
help
with
buffer
compliance.
In
2015,
legislators
funded
this
work
with
clean
water
fund
money,
but
said
future
funding,
beginning
in
2017,
would
come
from
the
state’s
general
fund.
An
amendment
to
reverse
that
position
and
instead
fully
fund
the
recommendations
of
the
state’s
Clean
Water
Council
failed
on
a
vote
of
30-35,
largely
along
partisan
lines.
The
Senate
bill
continues
to
fund
buffer
compliance
work
from
the
clean
water
fund,
which
critics
say
violates
the
spirit
of
the
Legacy
Amendment
and
means
deep
cuts
to
several
clean
water
programs
that
would
otherwise
be
funded,
including
drinking
water
and
groundwater
protections.
The
bill
moves
next
to
a
joint
Senate
and
House
conference
committee
to
work
out
differences
between
the
Senate
and
House
versions
of
the
bill.
(H.F.
707)
Chief
Supreme
Court
Justice
testifies
against
judiciary
budget
In
a
rare
appearance
by
a
chief
justice,
Minnesota
Supreme
Court
Chief
Justice
Lorie
Gildea
testified
against
the
House
and
Senate
judiciary
budget
bills
in
conference
committee.
She
asked
the
members
to
reconsider
their
budget
target
to
provide
adequate
funding
for
the
state
court
system
to
provide
Minnesotans
with
fair
access
to
the
state’s
courts.
Gildea
reminded
committee
members
that
the
courts
are
a
vital
part
of
the
government’s
basic
functions.
She
also
testified
that
the
judicial
branch
is
not
a
mere
state
agency,
but
a
vital
branch
of
state
government.
She
stressed
that
public
safety
is
jeopardized
when
we
do
not
have
a
fully-funded,
functioning
judiciary
system.
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