February 15, 2008
Session Off To Fast Start
The 2008 legislative session convened at noon on Tuesday and it is off to a very fast start. The House and Senate have already approved a constitutional amendment that would increase the sales tax by 3/8 percent and dedicate the money to environmental and arts programs. This question will be on the ballot in November and will be one more factor school districts will need to take in to account when considering a referendum campaign next fall.
The other two issues that received most of the attention during the first week were transportation funding and the capital bonding bill. House and Senate DFL leaders intend to expedite action on these two issues and pass bill these bills prior to March 21 when the legislature will take an Easter recess. The Governor and DFL majority caucuses take dramatically different approaches on these two issues setting the stage for what promises to be a major political battle.
The Governor delivered his State of the State on Wednesday in St. Cloud. He touched on several K-12 education issues but did not offer specific proposals. Parent involvement, a projected teacher shortage and attracting mid-career professionals, funding for the math and science academies, a summer training institute for math and science teachers, post tenure review and technology were all issues touched on by the Governor during his address. The Governor’s budget recommendations are expected to be released shortly after the next revenue and expenditure forecast which will be released on February 28th.
Taxpayers League Update
FYI – here are excerpts from the latest email update from the Taxpayers League:
Taxpayers League of Minnesota E-Update
February 15, 2008
2) Veto Protection Pledge
In all likelihood, the only thing standing between Minnesotans and a slew of tax increases is a gubernatorial veto. Last year the liberals pushed over $5 billion in tax increases, and if the action at the Capitol this year already is any indication then taxpayers are going to get hit again and again this year too. Governor Pawlenty is going to need all the help he can get, and the Taxpayers League is working hard to support his efforts. To this end, we have developed a “Veto Protection Pledge” and are asking Legislators to sign up. The Pledge signers will be promising to sustain the Governor’s vetoes of those bloated tax and spending bills. We encourage you to call your legislators (or better yet, buttonhole them at endorsing conventions if you are a delegate) and urge them in no uncertain terms to sign the Veto Protection Pledge . If enough Legislators are on the record supporting the Governor tax increases will be stopped cold. The pledge reads: “I agree with Governor Pawlenty that now is not the time to raise taxes. I, ___________________, pledge to the people of the state of Minnesota that I will uphold any veto of a tax increase by Governor Pawlenty.” Follow the link and print out a copy for your Legislator.
3) State of the State Address: No New Taxes
Governor Pawlenty made clear in no uncertain terms that he is opposed to raising taxes, vowing to veto any bill that includes a tax increase. In his State of the State address delivered in St Cloud Pawlenty promised to whip out his “taxpayer protection pen” and veto bills that would increase the tax burden on Minnesotans. He also announced his intention to reform Minnesota’s outdated tax code in order to make it more business-friendly. We say kudos to the Governor for drawing a clear line in the sand on the tax issue. Are the liberals in St Paul listening?
4) Tax Increases top of agenda at Capitol
Well, if the action in the Legislature is any indication, the liberals are going to be pushing a number of tax increases this year. The very first bill to get out of the House is a proposal to raise the sales tax for arts, public broadcasting, and “the environment.” As a proposed Constitutional Amendment, the Governor has no veto power over this proposal, but you sure do. Constitutional Amendments have to go before the voters, and a majority of all voters in the election is needed to get approval. The Taxpayers League is always skeptical of dedicating funding, but this proposal is especially bad. It would create a Constitutional right for public radio and TV to reach into your pockets! And this is not the only sales tax increase being talked about at the Capitol. The Transportation bill also includes a Metrowide ½ cent sales tax which would help fund the train building the Metropolitan Council is lusting for—with NO opportunity for taxpayers to vote! Minnesota’s sales taxes could easily become some of the highest in the nation if this trend keeps up: if you are a Hennepin County resident, for instance, you will wind up paying the 6.5% current state sales tax, the .5% local option sales tax, the .15% stadium sales tax, the .375% public broadcasting and environment sales tax, AND the .5% transit sales tax. That would add up to a sales tax of about 8%! Hmmm. And we haven’t gotten to a discussion of income taxes yet!
5) Transportation Bill means much higher taxes for you
$840 million. A year. In higher taxes. That is a good chunk of change. That works out to a pretty sum of $670/year or so for a family of four in higher taxes. That is what Senator Steve Murphy and his liberal friends at the Capitol have in store for you if they can override the Governor’s veto on the transportation bill (which is why the veto protection pledge is so important! Get your Legislator to sign up!). The biggest outrage though is the fact that the liberals are holding hostage the federal funding to rebuild the I-35W Bridge—the feds have approved the money, but the liberals in the Legislature are bundling the appropriations to spend the money in the same bill as the tax increases. Taxpayers should be furious that the bridge collapse is being politicized in order to shove a tax increase down our throats.
6) Welfare checks coming soon to a mailbox near you!
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that we didn’t approve of the so-called “stimulus package,” but far be it from us to tear up a check if it shows up in our mailbox. The color of the money is still green. We would have preferred a bill that would have made permanent the Bush tax cuts, cut corporate income taxes and eliminated the death tax. Those policies would have been far better for the economy than the “rebate” checks that will be sent out now that Congress has passed and the President has signed the “stimulus” package. Of course, the so-called rebates had to be made progressive, and were phased out for the people who paid the most taxes (of course!). This bill was driven by politics, not economics. Now that the checks are coming, Congress is telling us that it is our patriotic duty to spend the cash to boost the economy. In our humble opinion, the best way to stimulate the Minnesota economy is to send those checks in to the Taxpayers League of Minnesota so we can fight all the job-killing tax increases being pushed at the capitol!
Growth and Justice Information
Growth and Justice has posted much of the information that was presented at their November Education Summit on their web site. You can download research papers, Power Point presentations and pod casts from their web site at: http://www.growthandjustice.org
Legislative Hearings Next Week
Monday, February 18
Committee on Education
Chair: Sen. Charles W. Wiger
3 p.m. Room 15 Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 2422-Wiger: Eliminating the Permanent School Fund Subtraction.
S.F. 2392-Wiger: Eliminating the Permanent School Fund Subtraction and Dedicate Funding.
S.F. XXXX-Lynch: Permanent School Trust Fund - Accountability and Oversight.
S.F. XXXX-Anderson, E. R.: School Trust Land Advisory Committee.
S.F. 2370-Wiger: P-20 Partnership.
Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness Division
4:00 PM, Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Murphy
Agenda: Reports from the Legislative Auditor: JOBZ Program and School District Student Transportation If you would like to testify, please contact Christina Gosack at 651-296-5524.
TUESDAY, February 19, 2008
Committee: E-12 Education
8:00 AM, Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF2983 (Peterson, S.) Office of Early Childhood Education established.
HF2984 (Slawik) School age care modified
HF2785 (Gardner) Conflict of interest exception established for certain school contracts for professional and other services.
HF2185 (Lanning) Healthy child development within communities grant program established, and money appropriated.
HF1642 (Peterson, A.) Wind energy conversion systems capacity increased for school board ownership.
E-12 Education Budget Division
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
8:30 a.m. Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 2682-Skogen: Library accessibility and improvement grants bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 2360-Scheid: Independent school district #279, Osseo; Brooklyn Center northwest Hennepin family center construction grant bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 2603-Latz: Perpich center for arts education capital improvements bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 2584-Day: Minnesota state academies asset preservation bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 2585-Day: Minnesota state academies Frechette hall renovation bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 2624-Day: Minnesota state academy for the deaf Mott hall renovation bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 1422-Foley: Independent school district #11, Anoka Hennepin; capital improvements loan bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 2608-Rosen: Independent school district #2134, United South Central; cooperative facilities grant application, bond issue and appropriation.
S.F. 2548-Sparks: Independent school district #242, Alden-Conger; multifunction facility design and construction bond issue and appropriation.
K-12 Finance Committee
2:15 PM, Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: HF2807 (Brown) Independent School District No. 242, Alden-Conger, funding provided for Alden Community Center; bonds issued; and money appropriated.
HFXXXX (Tschumper) Independent School District No. 239, Rushford-Peterson, cooperative facilities grant provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
HFXXXX (Sailer) Public K-12 school renewable energy grants, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Committee: Early Childhood Learning Finance Division
4:00 PM, Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Nora Slawik
Agenda: Presentations and discussion of the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation scholarships and the state allowances
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 - 8:30 AM
E-12 Education Budget Division
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
8:30 a.m. Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
To be announced.
K-12 Finance Committee
2:15 p.m. Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling
Agenda: HF2558 (Murphy, M) Omnibus bonding recommendation bill Work group reports
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Property Tax Division
Chair: Sen. Rod Skoe
8:30 a.m. Room 15 Capitol
Agenda:
Property Tax Trends Overview by Department of Revenue
Office of Legislative Auditor Green Acres Report presentation
Committee: Early Childhood Learning Finance Division
4:00 PM, Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Nora Slawik
Agenda: Presentation by the Department of Education and three grantees on the after school program grants HF2920 (Murphy, E) A bill for an act relating to early childhood education; modifying developmental screening aid
AMSD Board Meeting
The next AMSD Board of Directors meeting is next Friday, February 22 from 7 – 9 a.m. in the TIES Building. Our guest speakers will be Rep. Carol McFarlane and Rep. Will Morgan.