Greetings from Saint Paul!

As we begin Minnesota’s 88^th legislative session, and I begin my second term here, I have been reflecting on the past two years. Recent elections swept the Senate Republican Caucus in to the majority–and more recent elections swept us out of the majority. Consequently, I and my Republican colleagues were moved into the state Capitol office suites and then, subsequently, moved out of the Capitol suites. 

One of the benefits of being physically located in the Capitol for two years was the extended opportunity to see the effects of years of neglect on the architecture of the building’s exterior. Folks around Saint Paul are quick to point out that the Capitol was designed by Cass Gilbert and features white marble. They have been less quick to point out that Minnesota weather and forty years of neglect have resulted in parts of the white marble literally falling off.   

Being in the majority caucus also offers a number of more substantial advantages – such as helping to set the state’s legislative agenda. In 2011 our caucus set an agenda to improve government, constrain the growth of taxes and, maintain our historic freedoms.

Thanks to wise legislative leadership, Minnesota is in a much better economic position now than we were two years ago. Unemployment has fallen, and we have generated three successive budget surpluses in our economic forecasts since November, 2011. We have put approximately $1 billion into state reserve accounts that had been depleted to make ends meet during budget shortages over the years.

Maybe the greatest development of late is that we have fully repaid the portion of K-12 funding that was delayed as part of the 2011 budget compromise. In addition, we have repaid approximately half of the delayed K-12 funding enacted under the previous Democrat majority.

One additional word on the Capitol: Last year we were able to approve $60 million in improvements to help repair and maintain the building’s exterior. The $60 million won’t fix all the damage inflicted over half a lifetime, but it is a substantial start. If the new majority follows our lead, the state will be able to enjoy this historic icon for years to come.

Leadership matters. For forty years, the residents of our state Capitol grew government bureaucracy and taxes at an astounding rate–while the historic building crumbled around them.

The state is on the right track, and now I urge the new Democratic majorities in the Legislature to continue our successful agenda: reform government, constrain the growth of taxes, and maintain our historic freedoms.

More Surplus!

I Continue to Ask, “Why Not Pay Back School Shifts”

The most recent revenue numbers for the state came out this week and once again they are above previous projections.  Responsible budgeting by this Republican legislature is continuing impact and brings positive results.

To quote Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter’s letter to Governor Dayton,  “Net general fund revenues totaled $1.301 billion in May, $32.3 million (2.5 percent) more than forecast.  Year-to-date revenues are now $148 million above February’s forecast.”

I point this out because it is good news for the state and continues to vindicate the attempt the legislature made this year to repay our schools the shift money Governor Dayton stipulated in resolving the 2011 budget.

Serving as a state senator in the Minnesota Legislature these past two years, I was not happy about shifting the money from the schools in the first place, but that was the compromise we made with Governor  in 2011 to balance the budget. He actually had proposed an even larger amount of shift than what was eventually included in the budget.

What continues to irritate me is his rejection of our proposal to have all of the money shifted in 2011 restored by using our surpluses banked to this point, which topped off our reserve account.

After the February Economic Forecast numbers were released and showed a $323 million surplus, $5 million went to bring the state’s budget reserve to a total of $653 million, and $318 million to buy-down the $700 million  2011 school shift.

On April 5^th, Gov. Dayton vetoed a bill from legislators which would have paid back to school districts, the FULL AMOUNT that was shifted in the 2011 agreement, AND begins to payback school shifts inherited from previous DFL controlled legislatures.

I believe the veto came from a selfish desire to keep the school shift alive as a political issue this fall. It concerns me that our governor has the interest of his political party above the interest of our school, students and the state of Minnesota.

Senator Dan Hall will be holding "In District" hours to meet with constituents of District 40. Please call the Senate office to schedule a time to meet with Senator Hall. He will be at Jo' Jo's Rise and Wine in Burnsville on June 4th 9:00-11:00 and June 25 4:30 - 6:30.

Welcome Friends,

I proudly serve District #40; the cities of Burnsville, Bloomington, and Savage. I look forward to hearing from you regarding concerns on legislative issues. You can stop by for a visit or e mail me anytime. Stay connected and informed on district legislative events through this website, or sign up for my weekly session newsletter for current updates. Feel free to link to my Facebook or Twitter accounts through the links provided in my newsletter.

Thank you for visiting my Senate website.

Regards,

Dan Hall