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Health & Fitness

2013 Legislative Session Wrap Up

Late last month, the 2013 Legislative Session officially came to a close after we passed a budget that puts Minnesota on sound fiscal footing for the first time in a decade.

Late last month, the 2013 Legislative Session officially came to a close after we passed a budget that puts Minnesota on sound fiscal footing for the first time in a decade.

Instead of kicking our financial problems down the road by using gimmicks and shifts, we used a combination of targeted cuts, reforms, and new revenue to eliminate our $627 million deficit and pay for investments in priorities like education that put Minnesota on a path to a brighter future. We also took serious steps to create good jobs, expand affordable housing, cut red tape for businesses, and reduce property taxes for homeowners and renters.

I’m looking forward to connecting with you over the coming weeks and months at events and gatherings in our District to tell you more about how the DFL budget moves Minnesota forward.

Here’s a quick look at some of our major accomplishments from the 2013 Session.

EDUCATION:

I believe our single biggest accomplishment in 2013 was making historic investments to provide every child with a high-quality education.

Thanks to the DFL budget, every child will have access to free all-day Kindergarten starting in the 2014 school year. Moms and dads who spend thousands out of pocket to cover the cost of all-day Kindergarten for their kids right now will be able to keep that money. A major Twin Cities television station even called the plan a “financial windfall” for parents. It also means Minnesota will start building a highly-educated workforce that can compete in an increasingly global economy.

In addition to investing in our youngest learners, the DFL budget takes serious steps to ease the financial burden on Minnesotans who are taking on record debt to pay for a college education. For the next two years, University of Minnesota and MnSCU students will not pay a penny over current tuition levels. When you combine that tuition freeze with substantial funding increases for the state grant program, we took important steps to bring down the cost of higher education. 

JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

When I was out knocking on doors and talking to Minnesotans on the campaign trail last year, lots of people told me they wanted our state Legislature to focus on job creation and economic development.

I’m proud to report that the DFL budget includes a comprehensive, all-of-the-above plan to put Minnesotans back to work and make our state more business friendly.

We provided significant investments in proven job creation tools like low-interest business loans and passed the largest business tax cut in Minnesota history, saving employers a total of $346 million ($150 per employee for the average business) by reducing the rate paid on unemployment insurance taxes. We also cut red tape for business owners by providing a sales tax exemption on capital equipment at the time of purchase.

The DFL budget also includes a bill I authored that creates a customized training program to equip Minnesotans with the skills needed to secure unfilled manufacturing jobs, a problem commonly referred to as the “skills gap.” The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the program and says it will bolster our manufacturing industry, which accounts for 15 percent of our state’s GDP.

TAXES:

Over the past decade, our property tax rates skyrocketed by 86 percent. That kind of financial burden on middle class Minnesotans is no recipe for economic growth.

That’s why the DFL budget delivers $400 million in property tax relief. In addition to providing homeowners and renters with direct relief, our budget restores the state’s commitment to cities, counties, and school districts.

Over 300,000 homeowners will see their property tax refund increase by an average of $212, and over 100,000 additional homeowners will qualify for a refund for the first time. Thanks to a retooled Renters Credit, over 60,000 renters will see their refund increase by an average of $179

Our budget’s investments in property tax relief, education, and job creation are fully paid for using a combination of targeted cuts, reforms, and new revenue. It asks the wealthiest two percent of Minnesotans to pay their fair share and closes tax loopholes used by corporations that shelter profits overseas.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING:

The DFL budget takes serious steps to make sure every Minnesotan has a place to call home. It includes a bill I authored that invests an additional $22 million in the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA), the first significant funding increase in over a decade.

MHFA is responsible for financing and advancing affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households, helping communities recover from the foreclosure crisis, and preventing and ending homelessness.

Making an investment on the front-end to solve problems like homelessness saves taxpayers from paying more for back-end costs like public assistance.

When Minnesotans can rely on stable, affordable housing, they are more likely to hold a steady job and pay income taxes into the state coffers instead of relying on public assistance to survive on a daily basis. They’ll also have more money in their pockets to buy goods and services from local businesses.

Making this kind of investment to expand affordable housing and end homelessness is not only the morally right thing to do, it’s also fiscally responsible.

AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES:

As we all know, Minnesota is well known for our treasured lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. These kinds of resources are a huge economic boon for our state well. Outdoor recreation is a multi-billion dollar industry and a vital part of our economy.

Unfortunately, our bodies of water are under threat from aquatic invasive species like Asian carp and zebra mussels. That’s why I authored legislation signed into law by Governor Dayton that creates new tools and protections to stop them from spreading.

THANK YOU:

I want to thank each and every one of you who was in touch with me during the 2013 Legislative Session. It is a privilege to serve as your voice at our State Capitol. If you have any questions about our budget or any other issue, please contact me at any time.

You can reach me by phone at (651) 296-7153, by email at rep.jason.isaacson@house.mn, or by postal mail at 545 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.

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