Our priorities for Minnesota

As the Legislature opens the 2012 session today, the Minnesota Budget Project is out with our policy agenda. We will focus on dangerous constitutional budget amendment proposals and improving health care in Minnesota.

We’ll also watch for any new efforts to cut the Renters’ Credit, and we’ll encourage a balanced approach, including raising revenues fairly, should a new budget shortfall emerge.

Visit our policy agenda to learn more about these issues and get involved. This year’s agenda is:

1. Opposing Constitutional Budget Amendments That Put Minnesota’s Future at Risk. Three proposed amendments dealing with the state budget would result in even more government gridlock and shutdowns, budget gimmicks, and cuts to critical services. They would make it more difficult for Minnesota to recover from the recession and invest in economic growth.
2. Supporting Successful Health Care Reform in Minnesota. Health care should be affordable for low-income Minnesotans, supportive of small employers, contain unsustainable cost increases, and include adequate federal funding. Developing a health care exchange in Minnesota that is focused on the needs of the consumer – individuals and small employers – is an essential step.
3. Protecting the Renters’ Credit so that low- and moderate-income Minnesotans do not pay more than their fair share in taxes. Last year’s budget agreement cut the Renters’ Credit by 13 percent, starting in 2012. More than 300,000 Minnesota households will lose some or all of this property tax refund. The Minnesota Budget Project will oppose any additional cuts.
4. Advocating for a Balanced Approach, including revenues raised fairly should a new revenue shortfall appear in the state’s February Forecast. This approach will allow the state to maintain education, health care, job training and other services that help Minnesotans weather these tough economic times, and make needed investments so that the state will be well-positioned when prosperity returns.

We’ll blog and otherwise keep you informed on these issues in the coming year.