Capital Comments by Shannon Savick

As we get closer to the end of session, key bills are set to return to the floor from their conference committees. These are some of the final pieces of legislation that we will work on to finish up our very productive 2013-2014 legislative session.

This past week, the Women’s Economic Security Act was re-passed with broad bipartisan support. This common sense bill will help address the gender pay gap by updating outdated workplace policies and putting new policies in place to support working parents.

It also invests in programs that encourage female workers to enter high paying fields where they are currently underrepresented, protects more open communication about pay and compensation in the workplace, and supports working parents who may need to take leave after the birth of a child. It was great to see well over 100 representatives vote in favor of this common sense bill.

Three other key bills were likely to move forward this week as well: the supplemental budget bill, the second tax bill, and the bonding bill.

On the House side, the supplemental budget included funding for jobs through the expansion of broadband Internet access and rural job resources. It provided a 5 percent increase for long-term care workers who care for our friends and loved ones. And it boosted funding for local schools and transportation improvements.

I’m hopeful that many of the investments in rural communities will make it into our final budget agreement and I will continue to push for those investments in the House.

Our second tax bill included property tax relief for family farmers, small businesses, homeowners and renters. Let’s not forget that many of the tax cuts we are providing this year are the result of our $1.2 billion budget surplus. And that surplus wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of our families and businesses in Greater Minnesota. It makes sense to support the folks who have driven our economy forward over the past year.

Finally, we’re working to finalize our bonding bill that will fund infrastructure projects across the state. Over the past year, I have worked tirelessly to make sure our local projects were placed at the top of the list for state funding.

I’m happy to report that the Fountain Lake dredging, as well as work on the Blazing Star Trail, have both been fully funded in the House bonding bill. It’s disappointing to see the Senate fund only a portion of the Fountain Lake cleanup project, but I will continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and in both chambers, to push for full funding.

This session has moved very quickly and I’m proud of the work that we’ve accomplished. In a non-budget year, we worked hard to make significant progress for our communities in Greater Minnesota. Thanks to an improving economy and smart financial planning in the state budget, Minnesota is heading in the right direction.

 

Shannon Savick, DFL-Wells, is the state representative for House District 27A.