Dear Neighbors,
We are in the final stretch of the legislative session and must adjourn by midnight on Monday, May 18 in order to avoid a special session. I am hopeful that we will get done on time, and have been disappointed with the House Republican Majority’s reluctance to negotiate with Governor Dayton—particularly for education funding.
Yesterday, I joined many colleagues in signing a letter to Governor Dayton in support of his call for significant investments in E-12 Education. You can read the letter here.
With a $2 billion budget surplus, we have a unique opportunity to build on the progress we made together and make further investments in our kids and their schools. Unfortunately, the $400 million E-12 budget target announced by the Senate and House yesterday is insufficient to make the kinds of investments that are needed. For that reason, I support Governor Dayton’s call for at least $550 million in this area, which would allow us to both invest in our schools and in early childhood education, including pre-kindergarten.
Now is the time to set the right priorities for Minnesota’s future, and I believe our kids should be a top priority.
As always, please contact me with your questions, comments and concerns.
Sincerely,
John Persell
State Representative