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