Senate Report by Dan Sparks

 

The Legislature is now one month away from our adjournment day of May 20. The Minnesota Constitution sets this as the final day of the Legislative session, which means my colleagues and I have until then to create a budget for the next two years. In the coming weeks, we will be working hard to pass the legislation necessary to create a final budget matching the values and priorities that all Minnesotans share.

There’s no doubt that getting this work done will require a robust effort. We will have many long hours on the floor debating provisions before they pass. Once the budget bills pass their respective bodies, legislators in the House and the Senate will need to come together to address the differences between their bills. After these differences are settled, we will pass these bills again to create a final budget that will be up to Gov. Walz to sign.

This remains our biggest priority and will be the focus of our work when we return from the legislative recess on Monday. During the recess, Gov. Walz toured the state, including a stop in our area. His visit focused on two major issues, the first of which was the major storm damage our area saw last week. He inspected the damage firsthand and received updates from Freeborn County Sheriff Kurt Freitag and Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik about the extent of the damage. He also learned about the hard work of the Freeborn-Mower Cooperative crews that diligently labored to restore power for those affected by these storms. Though we are still working to understand the full extent of the damage, Gov. Walz has said he will work to get federal disaster aid to help address these issues.

Another piece of the governor’s tour focused on community prosperity, which is one of the pillars of his agenda. Each community in Minnesota deserves the tools necessary to thrive. One of the biggest tools for community success is state aid in the forms of local government aid and local county aid. Gov. Walz has called for increased funding for both of these important tools, which would reduce the need of local government to cut services or raise local property taxes. I want to thank Mayor Vern Rasmussen for his work in outlining the ways Albert Lea would benefit from more state aid and the real difference it would make.

I share Gov. Walz’s vision for improving the opportunities for each of our communities to thrive. Coupled with increased support for good schools and better health care, the governor is working hard to make sure everyday Minnesotans can succeed. Over the next month, I look forward to working together with my colleagues in the Legislature, and the governor, to ensure these values and priorities are reflected in our budget.

Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin is the District 27 senator.