Column: Capitol Conversations, by Rich Murray

Solving Minnesota’s projected $5.1 billion budget deficit continues to be the hot topic at the state Capitol. Last week, the Minnesota House and Senate approved balanced budget proposals by passing a number of bills that will fund all program areas within state government.

These omnibus finance bills will now head to conference committee, which is a group made up of five state representatives and five senators. This committee is appointed when each legislative body passes a bill on a particular topic, such as environment funding, but the language contained in the two proposals is not identical. The joint House-Senate committee then works out the differences between the two versions and agrees on a compromise proposal that can be approved by both bodies.

I was honored to have been named one of the 10 members who will serve on the transportation finance conference committee. Knowing we have a significant need to improve our roads and bridges in rural Minnesota, I will spend my time on the committee fighting to maintain the House priorities that use fiscal restraint and would still increase state highway spending by $120 million and local road investments by more than $126 million.

While conference committees meet to rectify differences between the House and Senate on finance issues, our House policy committees have become busy again debating proposals that do not spend state funds.

When our budget work intensified over the past few weeks, work in our policy committees decreased significantly.

But now that the House has approved a balanced budget, that is no longer the case. In the government operations and elections committee, where I serve as vice chairman, we debated 12 bills over the past few days alone. So even though a balanced budget has been passed in the House, plenty of legislative work remains.

Groups weigh in

on school funding

The K-12 education bill has obviously been on the minds of our teaching professionals. Next week I will meet with folks from the Glenville-Emmons School District to discuss this bill, and I recently met with Albert Lea Area Schools Superintendent Mike Funk on the same topic. It was good to visit with Funk in St. Paul, as I was able to ask the vice chairman of the K-12 Education Finance Committee to join us and help better explain some of the education funding and reform provisions in the proposal.

I’ve been making a point of visiting with area teachers and administrators to hear their thoughts and concerns. Their input is valuable to me, and it’s good to know where they stand as our education funding bill moves forward.

I also had a very productive meeting in Albert Lea last week with leaders from the Albert Lea Medical Center, where we discussed some of this provisions contained in the House Health and Human Services Finance proposal. The Albert Lea Medical Center is vital to our community and provides a large number of quality jobs to our workforce, so it’s important to gain its perspective.

As always, if you’d like to meet with me in St. Paul or have me speak to your business, group or organization regarding issues that are being debated at the state Capitol, please call my office at 651-296-8216 or send me an email at rep.rich.murray@house.mn and I’d be happy to help.

Thanks, pages

Not long ago, I was able to meet with two Albert Lea High School juniors in St. Paul. Addison Petersen and Annabelle Randall each participated in the Minnesota House High School Page Program and were able to take part in a House floor session. It’s always great to meet with our local students, and I thank Addison and Annabelle for taking an interest in their state government!

Have a question or concern? Constituents in District 27A including communities in Freeborn and Mower counties can write to me at 439 State Office Building, 100 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.

Rich Murray, R-Albert Lea, is the state representative for House District 27A.