Residents of District 27A in Albert Lea and the surrounding communities can be proud of the work done by your outstanding first-term Rep. Peggy Bennett. Peggy was a leader in our caucus on education issues and worked across the aisle on nearly every bill she authored this year. That was the theme of this year’s session: bipartisan cooperation. DFL Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk called it one of the most bipartisan sessions he has ever seen in his many years at the Legislature.

The partisan letter written by Rep. Paul Marquart, who lives about 300 miles away from Albert Lea, represents everything Minnesotans dislike about politics. It was dishonest, partisan and an attempt to smear the good work done by Rep. Bennett and both sides of the aisle this past legislative session. House Democrats in the minority are so desperate to regain the majority in 2016, they’re resorting to nasty attacks that ignore reality and aim to mislead residents.

Rep. Bennett and I were proud to vote for the bipartisan budget compromise. Every single bill that was sent to Gov. Dayton’s desk passed the Legislature with significant support from Republicans and Democrats.

The bipartisan education budget would mean more than $400 million in new money for K-12 education and proven early learning programs that aim to close the achievement gap. Albert Lea schools will see a $368-per pupil funding increase. The bipartisan Health and Human Services bill will mean $138 million in new funding for our senior care facilities. These reforms will put Greater Minnesota nursing homes on par with those in the Metro, and help many facilities keep their doors open and improve quality of care for our aging loved ones.

Unfortunately, Democrats stubborn insistence on the highest gas tax increase in state history prevented progress on transportation. Rep. Bennett and I proudly voted for new funding for small cities with populations under 5,000 to fix their local roads, and will continue the conversation on transportation next session.

Rep. Marquart wants you to believe that this session was somehow a failure for Greater Minnesota. I would remind folks that this is the same legislator that voted for a tax on farm equipment repairs, as well as the warehouse tax which would tax farmers who have to store fertilizer or farm machinery during the winter. Rep. Marquart is the same legislator who promised property tax relief to Minnesotans, only to see property taxes continue to rise across the state. This is the same legislator who voted against pro-life provisions and help for our nursing homes in the Health and Human Services budget. He also supports a gas tax and opposed the bipartisan Road and Bridge Act that would have invested $7 billion in roads and bridges over the next 10 years. These simply aren’t the values of Greater Minnesota.

Don’t let the partisan rhetoric fool you. Rep. Bennett has been working hard all session long on legislation to help Greater Minnesota and voted for a bipartisan budget that was the result of fair compromise by legislators on both sides. I’m proud to call her a friend and hope you know that she is doing great work for you in St. Paul.

 

House Rep. Ron Kresha

Assistant Majority Leader

District 09B

Little Falls