Commentary; Posted: 6/13/07
House delivered on basic priorities
Rep. Jeremy Kalin
Guest Columnist
When the Minnesota Legislature adjourned at midnight on Monday, May 21, it became the first time in eight years that budget bills were passed on time. It appears that we will avoid another special session - a welcome departure, for sure!
The House delivered on some basic priorities for Minnesota.
After years of budget cuts, we focused on the core issues of education, health care, and property tax reform. I was also fortunate to be part of the biggest success of this session - Energy Independence.
Over the next months, I’ll write in detail some of the successes of the 2007 legislative session, as well as some areas where work still remains.
For now, I’d like to give a “30,000-foot view” of this year’s progress. Most importantly, after several years of budget cuts, we have finally stabilized state funding in many areas and started to make advances in controlling property tax increases.
Being a practical person, I understand it will take a few years to make all the changes I’d like to see, but I am proud that we took important first steps.
Our local K-12 schools will see higher standards and reform - and 6% more funding over the next two years, including special education funding and a per-pupil formula increase.
Unlike years past, none of the new K-12 funding is dependent on property tax increases. I’m particularly proud of a provision I co-authored, calling on the Independent Office of Educational Accountability to reform our state-mandated tests.
I was especially pleased with the higher education bill. House Democrats placed a high priority on ending an era of double-digit tuition increases - and we succeeded. Tuition hikes are held to just 4 percent a year at U of M and MnSCU campuses. College degrees present real opportunity for the next generation of Minnesotans; I am proud that state college will be accessible for our newest adults.
I campaigned saying that I would vote for property tax relief at every opportunity, and I did. The House Property Tax Relief Bill would have taken what will be a 10 percent increase for most Chisago County homeowners and turned it into a 1 percent property tax cut.
Unfortunately, Gov. Pawlenty vetoed the Property Tax Relief bill, and the governor, as of this writing, has not yet acted on a second and less aggressive bill.
One other disappointment was Gov. Pawlenty’s veto of the landmark Transportation Bill. Because of his veto, the North Branch TH-95 Bridge funding will likely remain out of reach for at least another year, and property taxes may have to be used for other local projects again. Taxpayers will again be forced to make up the difference - approximately $6 million.
I strongly object to using property taxes to pay for large road projects, and will fight for more transportation funding next year.
On a very bright note, I believe this year will be known as the Year of Energy. My Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill became the cornerstone of the Next Generation Energy Act, which passed the House 125 to 9, and the Senate 59 to 5. The bill relies on 21st-century technology - and common sense - to save Minnesota literally billions in energy costs.
Minnesota will be a beacon for “green” business investment.
Early in the session, we passed a nation-leading bipartisan Renewable Energy Standard to get 25 percent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Later, Chisago County earned a $200,000 grant to study producing cellulosic ethanol from native grasses and biomass. It was a great session for energy policy, for sure.
Next year, I’ll be working on more energy initiatives, a bi-partisan military voting bill, and dedicated funding for the outdoors. We also will look to fund important local projects in the capital investment bonding bill.
After several decades of neglect, it is no secret that our transportation system is deeply troubled. For the people of Chisago County, that is particularly apparent not only on I-35, but especially on our local roads and bridges.
In years past, the state has not fulfilled its responsibility to adequately fund transportation projects in Chisago County - and statewide. The state would have provided $17.7 million to repair our county roads in 2005, but the veto of the bill forced Chisago County to bond $14 million against our property taxes to pay for essential road and bridge maintenance.
With $2.3 billion dollars in increased property taxes over the last five years, should we really be paying over $20 million for our roads and bridges on the backs of already-strapped homeowners? I for one don’t think so.
Our state is presented with a clear choice - continue funding local transportation projects through more property tax hikes, or a “pay-as-you-go” approach that relies on a moderate gas tax increase that asks only those who use the roads to pay for their maintenance and improvement.
I think it is important for taxpayers to know that the gas tax is the main source of completely dedicated funding for roads and bridges in our state - and without that funding they crumble. But because of inflation the current 20-cent tax on a gallon of gas established in the late 1980s is worth the equivalent of 12 cents today. This gap in funding is severely depriving the Department of Transportation from keeping up with basic road and bridge maintenance needs.
For that reason, I voted for a five-cent increase in the gas tax to pay exclusively for roads and bridges this session - because it was the right thing to do. While I am extremely reluctant to support a tax increase for any reason, I could not ignore the immediate needs of our roads and bridges, or the need for property tax relief in Chisago County.
More than two-thirds of Chisago County’s workforce commutes every day to the Twin Cities. Fighting traffic both ways and lost family time are more than just headaches for commuters - it reduces our quality of life. But there is hope.
The Rush Line Corridor Task Force has been working diligently on plans for a transit line from Hinckley to the Twin Cities that would directly serve much of Chisago County. The Rush Line can make the commute more reliable, more stress-free, less expensive, and even help reduce carbon emissions.
The Rush Line Task Force is holding two Open House community meetings to discuss the project and provide an outlook for progress, on June 19 at the Rush City Community Center, and June 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Forest Lake City Hall. I encourage you to attend to voice your opinion about this important project.
I will continue to work for any fiscally responsible transportation funding that doesn’t rely on property taxes for Chisago County. Fixing our roads and bridges is critical to growing our local economy, and preventing the “congestion tax” that results from us all being stuck in traffic. The truth is, you get what you pay for - and it’s time we get the transportation system we need for Minnesota to thrive.
Jeremy Kalin lives in Chisago Lake Township and represents House District 17B.
Forest Lake Times
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