ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today visited Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) and South Central College in North Mankato, urging legislators to compromise on terms for a Special Session. Since June 1st, Governor Dayton has been calling on legislative leaders to agree to needed investments in higher education, job creation, and public safety before he will call a Special Session. As of now, House Speaker Kurt Daudt, Senate Minority Leader David Hann, and their respective Caucuses have been resistant to making those urgently-needed investments.

 

“It is time now for the Legislature to come back to St. Paul and finish their work,” said Governor Dayton. “Minnesotans deserve better college classrooms, clean water infrastructure, tax cuts for 650,000 people, and thousands of jobs from comprehensive bonding and transportation bills."

 

 

After carefully reviewing each of the bills passed during the final hours of the 2016 Legislative Session, Governor Dayton signed into law new investments in prekindergarten education, broadband expansion, economic equity, and more. However, after discovering a $101 million error in the Tax Bill, Governor Dayton issued this letter to legislative leaders, outlining his compromise conditions, urging them to correct the Tax Bill and agree to essential investments in education, job creation, and public safety that were neglected during the Regular Session.

 

As of yet, Republican legislators have not agreed to those eminently reasonable requirements, leaving in doubt: tax cuts for 650,000 Minnesotans; essential investments in higher education and clean water infrastructure; and needed funding for initiatives that will assure the public’s safety.

 

 

·         Tax Cuts for 650,000 Minnesotans – Governor Dayton supports this year’s Omnibus Tax bill, which would cut taxes for 650,000 Minnesotans, including farmers, veterans, college graduates, working families, and more. It also included disaster relief funding for Madelia, increases in Local Government Aid and County Program Aid, and other essential provisions for a Better Minnesota. Unfortunately, the bill passed in the final hours of the Regular Session included a $101 million error; therefore, the Governor could not sign it into law. Governor Dayton stands ready to sign the corrected bill into law during a Special Session.

 

·         Urgently-Needed Investments in Higher Education, Clean Water, and Public Safety – Because the House waited until the last minute to propose a bonding bill, the Legislature ran out of time to pass the bill in the final minutes of the Regular Session. The bill was full of errors, and did not meet the needs of Minnesota’s communities. Governor Dayton has called on Speaker Daudt and all four Caucuses to agree to fix the errors in the bonding bill, and include additional essential investments in the bonding bill for higher education and public safety. If legislative leaders agree to this compromise, communities across Minnesota will benefit from urgently-needed investments in clean water infrastructure, higher education improvements, and other essential infrastructure needs.

 

·         Needed Funding for Higher Education, Job Creation, and Public Safety – The budget passed in Regular Session did not include adequate funding for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), essential public safety needs, and actually cut funding for the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) and the Minnesota Job Creation Fund, which have created thousands of jobs over the last several years. Governor Dayton is urging legislative leaders to include additional funding for MnSCU, the University of Minnesota, autism services, safe staffing levels at the St. Peter Security Hospital, National Guard security improvements to protect our soldiers, and restoring funding for MIF and the Minnesota Job Creation Fund.

 

 

·         Rochester International Airport Customs and Border Patrol – If passed, the bonding bill would provide $5 million to make essential upgrades to the Rochester International Airport – which is crucial for the economic future of the region. This State Airports Fund grant would help the City of Rochester make improvements that would allow the Airport to meet updated U.S. Customs requirements to accommodate international flights.

 

·         Rochester Community and Technical College – Governor Dayton initially proposed $20 million in RCTC’s Memorial and Plaza Halls, to replace and renovate outdated classrooms and office space. Unfortunately, the House did not accept that provision. In a Special Session, Governor Dayton is insisting that the House agree to needed investments in higher education infrastructure, including $2.1 million for essential classroom and facilities maintenance and upgrades at Rochester Community and Technical College.

 

·         Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota – If passed, the bonding bill would include $1.5 million for the Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota. The Institute has been meeting the needs of people with dyslexia for 65 years, helping 8,700 students improve their reading ability. In order to meet the growing demand the Institute in partnership with Olmsted County will build a professional, technologically updated building that will house programming. The Institute tours around the state to provide training to adults and educators.

 

·         Rochester Readiness Center Renovation – Decreased federal funding has left the Rochester Readiness Center behind on basic maintenance and repairs. If passed, the bonding bill would invest $1.6 million to help ensure the facility is ready to meet the needs of the National Guard and Minnesotans during emergencies. The funding would be used to renovate the complete facility including safety and sanitary issues, rehabilitate training rooms, and update electrical and ventilation systems.

 

 

·         South Central College in North Mankato – If passed, the bonding bill would include $8.6 million to renovate labs and classrooms at South Central College in North Mankato. Governor Dayton is also insisting upon new investments in basic maintenance at MnSCU campuses statewide, including $335,000 for South Central College. These investments are essential to the better educations of our students, to the training of a competitive workforce, and to the long-term health of our economy.

 

“We are thankful that the Governor and Lieutenant Governor have identified South Central College’s STEM and Healthcare Renovation and HEAPR as top priorities,” said South Central College President Dr. Annette Parker. “These investments are critical to the success of our students, our businesses and our communities.”

 

·         Facility Improvements at the St. Peter Security Hospital – Governor Dayton’s bonding proposal included $70.3 million to make essential improvements at the St. Peter Security Hospital. Unfortunately, the House did not fully fund the project in their proposal. Governor Dayton is insisting that the project be fully funded in the final bonding bill in a Special Session. Not fully funding these improvements would add up to $2.6 million in additional project and operating costs. These investments are essential in assuring the safety of staff, patients, and Minnesotans.

 

·         Staff Safety at the St. Peter Security Hospital – Governor Dayton is insisting that the Legislature approve $22.3 million in additional funding in FY17 and $76.6 million in FY18-19 to improve staff safety at the St. Peter Security Hospital. Additional resources are critical to end the cycle of crises that has pervaded this facility for decades, and to ensure the safety of its patients and workers.

 

·         Facility Improvements at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program in St. Peter – Governor Dayton recommended $14.5 million to increase the capacity of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program in St. Peter, and to assure the public’s safety. Unfortunately, the House did not include that funding in their proposal. Governor Dayton is insisting that funding be added to the final bonding bill in a Special Session. These investments are essential in assuring the safety of staff, patients, and Minnesotans.

 

Governor Dayton is urging Minnesotans to contact their legislators, and encourage them to: 1) agree to the Governor’s compromise terms for a Special Session, which would make urgently needed investments in a Better Minnesota; and 2) do the work they left unfinished during the 2016 Legislative Session. Minnesotans can contact their legislators by using the “Who Represents Me?” tool on the Legislative Coordinating Commission’s website.