This week, I had the privilege and honor of attending Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s State of the State address. The pomp and solemnity of the occasion is always impressive, and it reminds me of what an honor it is to serve in the Minnesota Legislature.

The governor gave a very nice presentation; I always enjoy listening to him. He spoke about broad concepts we can all agree on — supporting our schools and veterans, creating jobs and finding ways to do things more efficiently. Unfortunately his speech was very light on details. Where will the money come from for the new spending he is recommending? What will be cut, and what programs will we lose? These questions must be answered before final decisions can be made on the governor’s proposals. One thing is clear, without new revenue, the money can only come from other state spending. It will take historic cuts to erase a $4.8 billion budget deficit.

I was certainly encouraged to hear the governor make education a priority. The Albert Lea School District is a recipient of Q-Comp dollars, and we know how beneficial it is. However, his plan to expand Q-Comp to every school district in the state will cost nearly $150 million per year. As a teacher and a parent, I agree that our schools need adequate and sustained funding, but I would like to see his plan for this spending increase.

Gov. Pawlenty has also strengthened his commitment to job growth by proposing a Green JOBZ. Again, this is a state program our region has benefited from, and I continue to support, but every tax credit has to be paid for by someone — the same as an expenditure. We’ll have a better understanding where the funding for this program is coming from when we see the governor’s complete budget recommendations.

The broad understanding is that he will make significant cuts to both the health and human services budget and local government aid. It’s hard to imagine that either budget can sustain more cuts without causing serious damage.

First, I have grave concerns about additional cuts to health care. Many families can’t take their kids to the doctor, seniors can’t afford prescriptions, rural hospitals already are bogged down by the high cost of unreimbursed care, and dozens of nursing homes have closed in the last few years. Some of the governor’s proposals could mean the end of programs like Meals on Wheels and others that help our seniors stay in their homes longer.

The health care industry is also one of the strongest economic sectors in our state. In fact, one in every eight employees work in health care. Reduced funding not only has the potential to diminish the level of care Minnesotans receive, it can also lead to more job losses and financial hardship. Cuts such as these that hurt our most needy citizens and undermine our economic recovery would be very hard for me to support.

I do agree with the governor that our commitments to our veterans and military personnel must be kept. I also agree public safety is of utmost importance, although this will be hard to maintain if local government aid is once again cut.

One avenue the governor didn’t mention today is the federal recovery package. President-elect Barack Obama has indicated he will move swiftly to enact this legislation, which will include funding for individual states. To help us prepare for that, the first bill introduced in the House this week creates a framework for determining how this federal money will be spent when it arrives. We want to make sure these dollars are used wisely and fairly, with the primary intent of creating and retaining jobs and stimulating economic growth.

The federal money alone won’t solve our budget deficit, however. Every committee in the House will examine its budget to make sure state revenues are being spent wisely, recommending cuts in areas that will do the least harm, and re-allocating funds where they can do the most good. To achieve agreement on these cuts, the House, the Senate and Gov. Pawlenty must all be willing to compromise.

That being said, I was pleased to hear the governor take a more conciliatory tone this year. He called for bipartisan cooperation to meet these challenges, and I couldn’t agree more. We will receive the governor’s budget recommendations around Jan. 27; the House and Senate will then respond with their plan to balance the budget. While I anticipate a lengthy negotiating process, I remain hopeful we can all work together to put Minnesota back on the path to prosperity.

As always, I am honored to serve. Please continue to be a part of the process by contacting me with your concerns and suggestions. I can be reached at (651) 296-8216, or by e-mail at rep.robin.brown@house.mn.

Robin Brown, DFL-Moscow Township, is the state representative for District 27A.