Commentary; Posted: 1/17/07
Olseen outlines 2007 Senate priorities
Rick Olseen
Guest Columnist
The Senate has announced the first six bills that will be introduced in the 2007 session, focusing on the important issues that legislators heard people reference time and time again on the campaign trail. These legislative priorities outline a framework that will put Minnesota on a stable, sustainable long-term path for growth:
ïControlling property tax increases. Recent state policies have sent local property taxes skyward, while local schools and vital services like police and fire protection have been cut. The Senate plan aims to reverse this trend by increasing state aid to schools and local government and placing limits on new school levies.
ïEstablishing affordable health care coverage. Administrative costs and red tape unrelated to the doctor-patient relationship gobble too large a share of the health care dollar.
The Senate plan brings more fiscal sense to Minnesota's health care system by removing barriers to coverage and eliminating government-imposed requirements designed to restrict access to care. The policy goal is to restore patients, not administrators, to the top of the health care food chain.
ïRecognizing transportation as the backbone of commerce. For Minnesota to grow jobs, its entire transportation network needs to be upgraded to meet the demand. Simply put, our economy cannot expand on the current system. The Senate plan will establish a system that lays down concrete and steel.
ïSecuring greater energy independence. The Senate plan will set high standards for the use of renewable energy resources, reducing our dependence on foreign sources while building jobs for Greater Minnesota.
ïExpanding early childhood education. Teaching preschoolers is a proven way to prepare students for a lifetime of learning. But cuts in child care, combined with Minnesota's uneven access to full-day kindergarten, stymie student development.
The Senate plan, in addition to increasing funding for K-12 education, will support quality child care and establish statewide all-day kindergarten.
ïInvesting in a long-term outdoor legacy. Some matters are of such great importance to the future of our state that funds should be set aside to assure their viability for future generations. We will invest in the long-term protection and enhancement of our natural resources so that we can preserve our unique outdoor legacy for our children and grandchildren.
In the upcoming weeks, the authors of each of these important bills will explain their legislation in greater detail.
The first of these bills, S.F. 1, The Property Tax Relief Act, was discussed this week by Sen. Tom Bakk, the chair of the Tax Committee.
Reducing property tax increases and restoring aid to local governments is a high priority for me. Minnesota has seen residential property taxes increase nearly 60 percent since 2002.
The Property Tax Relief Act addresses this huge problem by expanding residential and agricultural land market value credits and increasing homeowners' property tax refunds -- thus reducing property taxes.
State aid to cities and counties will also be boosted under this legislation in order to help reverse the cuts that have been made to local governments in recent years.
As a former Chisago County commissioner, I had to deal with those cuts firsthand, and look forward to restoring the aid so that we may not only help our cities and counties, but also ease the burden on property taxpayers.
Doing this will help cities and counties across the state provide essential services to residents -- including police and fire, libraries, parks and recreation, while keeping property taxes in check.
Another reason property taxes have increased is because the state has provided inadequate funding for school districts, thus forcing them to rely heavily on operating levies.
This has hurt both school districts which were forced to raise levies and those who were unable to pass levies. S.F. 1 reduces operating levies while increasing state aid to schools.
These first six proposals will change and evolve as they make their way through the legislative process, but they provide a framework to achieve the goals that Minnesotans have said are important for the future of our state. Working together with the governor, legislators of both parties, local government officials, and citizens, we can make our vision of a stronger Minnesota a reality.
I encourage you to contact me with your questions or comments about these bills or any other issues. You may call me at (651)296-5419, send an e-mail to sen.rick.olseen@senate.mn, or write to G-24 State Capitol, St. Paul, MN 55155.
Writer Rick Olseen is from Harris and represents District 17 in the Minnesota State Senate.
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