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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you all had a great week! I can’t believe January is almost over! I wanted to flag two health-related items as we head into February:
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February is American Heart Month. To kick-off the month, the American Heart Association is asking everyone to celebrate Wear Red Day on February 5th. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths in the U.S. for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups (according to CDC).
- Here’s a link to warning signs for men and women from the American Heart Association.
- If you want to help spread awareness, you can wear red and post a picture of yourself on February 5 on social media using #GoRedMN #WearRedDay @Heartassocmn
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February Blood Drives in Maple Grove! We all have two opportunities to donate blood in Maple Grove in February:
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February 2nd from 1:00-7:00 p.m. at Maple Grove Lutheran Church, 9251 Elm Creek Blvd.
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February 22nd from 12:30-6:30 at Jersey Mike’s, 16375 Cty. Road 30
- More info at redcrossblood.org or 1-800-733-2767
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Executive Summary
- Gov. Walz's proposed budget
- Education Updates - School Choice week; Rogers students back to in-person learning; and "Due North" education plan unveiled by the Governor
- Healthcare Month and CareerForce Resources
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Gov. Walz's proposed budget
This week Gov. Walz released his budget proposal, which he is required to submit by law. His $52.4 billion proposal for the 2022-2023 biennium includes $1.7 billion in new taxes, including a 15% tax increase on businesses and a 10% hike on Minnesota’s top tax bracket. The Governor’s budget calls for 9.4% in increased spending over the last biennium but only calls for $150 million in cuts, or about 0.3% of the overall budget.
The Governor’s proposal did include a tax cut for working families, but it would not provide much relief to Minnesotans. Estimates are that it would only provide an additional $3 per month for families in the lowest income bracket. Furthermore, $941 million of the $1.7 billion tax increases are regressive, which would hurt Minnesotans at every income level. An article that came out this afternoon highlighted that the corporate tax burden impacts not just the owners and shareholders, but also the workers and customers.
Increasing taxes on Minnesota’s hard-working families and businesses following a year of shutdowns will make economic recovery even more difficult. Minnesota taxpayers can’t afford to pay for a 9.4% increase in state spending and our small businesses can’t afford a tax increase when they are still struggling to survive.
Instead, we should address the state’s $1.3 billion deficit by limiting new spending, finding ways to cut costs and tapping into the state’s over $2 billion “rainy day” fund. The Governor’s proposal uses $1 billion of this money to fund spending increases, but does little to cut spending. If families can tighten their budgets, like so many have during COVID-19, government can find ways to cut more than 0.3% in a $52.4 billion budget.
As we come out of the pandemic, we need to prioritize the economic health of our families and businesses. Imposing tax hikes is the complete opposite of that goal.
The Governor’s budget is just the opening round in the budget talks. We will get an updated budget forecast in a few weeks that will hopefully show a lower deficit. This will set the stage for the serious negotiations. I look forward to the debate and will hold the line on tax increases for families and businesses.
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Education Updates
We celebrated School Choice Week at the Capitol starting on Monday. Normally, we would have a large rally as part of the festivities, but things looked different because of COVID. Minnesota is lucky to have so many options for parents to choose the school that best serves their kids' education needs. I was proud to release a video about why I support school choice and to talk a little more about the importance of my bill (H.F. 153) to increase the educational expense tax credit and deduction amounts and expand the credit to included tuition.
I was so pleased to learn that Rogers/Elk River Schools are returning to in-person learning! A huge shoutout to Superintendent Daniel Bittman, ISD 728 school board, and teachers for getting the Middle and High school students back in the classroom. Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9, 11, & 12 go back on February 16, and Grade 10 goes back March 1! In-person learning can be done safely and other districts should consider this option.
Finally, the Walz administration also unveiled their "Due North" education plan. While I agree with some of the proposals and support ensuring adequate funding for schools, the Governor’s proposal often seemed focused on teaching our children a political worldview rather than on helping our kids catch up on reading and math skills lost learning during COVID. Any successful plan for improving education in Minnesota and addressing the achievement gap needs to focus on raising reading and math scores and graduation rates – that is the best way to help ALL kids have a successful future.
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CareerForce
January is Health Care Month in Minnesota so the Department of Employment and Economic Development is highlighting all of the different career opportunities in that job sector. If you have not heard, there is a wonderful resource called CareerForce that brings together private, public, and nonprofit partners together to help Minnesotans start their careers and employers attract, develop, and retain talent. They also have a job bank which can be found here. Whether you or a loved one is looking to start their career in health care or another field, I highly recommend you look into this great resource!
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Photos
Proud of my young friend and Maple Grove resident who is in the National Guard and has been serving our country in Washington, D.C. for two weeks.
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Please Contact Me
Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.
During the continuing COVID restrictions, the best way to reach me is by email: rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked a couple of times/day. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Kristin
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225 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806 |
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