Lakeville Lawmakers Continue Work State Budget, Education Bills

State Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-District 36B), of Farmington, and the education committee that he chairs is in the process of molding the state’s omnibus education bill as the clock ticks down until the end of the session on May 23.

In the first reading of the bill, (HF0934), very little changed from the last omnibus package. But that’s not going to be the case moving forward. Garofalo has already begun work on changing how $64 million in integration funding is doled out by the state. He’s proposed changing the name of the aid to "innovation revenue" and wants it only used for "research-based activities" to close the achievement gap between minority and white students.

And education isn’t the only big bill that’s getting worked on. The state is still facing a $5 billion deficit and the legislature needs to pass a bill to make ends meet.

State Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (R-District 36A), of Lakeville, is chair of the house Ways and Means Committee and is right in the thick of the budget drama.

Republican legislators last week worked on a budget outline that would preclude income tax increases, but Gov. Mark Dayton said he would likely veto such an outline.

Earlier this year, when Holberg rolled out the first round of Republican cuts via HF0130, which cut $840 million, she said there would have to be more. She also said, in her mind, income tax increases weren’t an option.

Republicans are currently looking toward deep cuts to health and human services, which would result in some yet to be identified public program eliminations.

Meanwhile, legislators worked on smaller bills, such as Holberg’s bill, HF1205, which would allow county parks to charge more than state parks for fees. Law currently caps county park fees at the state park fee ceiling.

Holberg also authored HF1261, which allows for the Metropolitan Council to issue up to $35 million for capital expenditures as prescribed in the council's transit capital improvement program. These costs will help pay for the metro area’s transit costs, including Dakota County’s. It’s also a routine bill seen each year.

State Sen. Dave Thompson (R-District 36) of Lakeville, authored two bills last week, including a bill that requires an auditor to provide dependent eligibility verification for state-paid hospital, medical, and dental benefits provided to state employees and their dependents (SF0811), as well as (SF1034) which repeals a law precluding the admissibility of seat belt use evidence in certain civil actions.