As House Speaker Kelliher communicated to the Governor:
“Budget unallotment is a blunt instrument that reflects the
difficult budget crisis confronting our state. It is important to identify the priorities that will ultimately make Minnesota stronger. That is one reason why the House wanted to ensure that resources continue to flow to our classrooms. While it is important that he spared K-12 education, his cuts to higher education may hurt our ability to build the highly skilled workforce our state needs.
“We are concerned about the impact of significant cuts to health and human services. The financial stability of our community hospitals, as well as the education and training of badly needed primary care physicians are both at risk as a result of the Governor’s $73 million cuts.
“Going forward, it is important that all options remain available as state leaders address the larger budget deficit. It is simply not enough to reach agreement on the bottom line. We must also fundamentally change the way we do business in our state so we can avoid a similar crisis in the future. Solving our budget deficit is much more than just a math problem.
“We have asked Minnesotans to send their best ideas to the Capitol. The Minnesota House of Representatives has set up a webpage at house.mn so citizens can have a say in how we confront Minnesota’s projected budget deficit. In the meantime, the Legislature will continue to focus on job creation and innovation as we work our way back to prosperity.”
A Budget Solutions Hotline is also available for Minnesotans without Internet access.
Minnesota Budget Solutions
Minnesota House of Representatives
470 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Saint Paul, MN 55155
Greater Minnesota: 800-685-8907
Metro Area: 651-297-8185