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Legislative News and Views - Rep. John Persell (DFL)

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Legislative Update - May 17, 2015

Sunday, May 17, 2015

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