Legislature takes historic action

With the 2023 legislative session completed, I’m proud of the historic action we took to make Minnesota the best state to live, work, and raise a family. For the first time in a decade, we ended the gridlock and started addressing problems Minnesotans have been facing for years. My votes for better schools, responsible tax relief, public safety, mental health, environmental safeguards, and human rights were based on thousands of conversations I had with members of our community over the past two years. W hen you send your children back to the classroom this fall, they’ll return to a school with more funding than ever before, have access to robust mental health services, and every student will get a breakfast and a lunch at school – no questions asked. As Vice Chair of the Senate Education Finance Committee, I focused on providing schools with the resources they need to serve our students. Our education budget provides stability for

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• Letter writers are limited to school budgets, increases aid for school safety, addresses the opportunity gap, and makes a historic investment in reading and literacy programs. The school districts in our area will receive a combined $60.7 million dollar increase in funding over the next two years.

We also took major action to prevent crime and improve community safety. I chief authored the $300 milliondollar public safety package that supports the needs of every city, county, and Tribal nation in Minnesota. My bill secured over $13 million for Anoka, Ramsey, and Washington counties, and a combined $3.76 million for the cities in our district, including White Bear Township. This law also maintains local control so local governments will decide how best to use the money.

Additionally, we delivered sensible gun safety laws by creating extreme risk protection orders and expanding background checks.

I’m also proud to report several of my bills concerning domestic abuse and sexual assault passed with bipartisan support. Our conservation work was also successful. We ensured a safer and healthier environment, preventing further PFAS pollution and expanding renewable energy.

I also secured $13.5 million dollars for a new Lino Lakes water treatment center that will improve access to clean water for our residents.

Our caregivers are in crisis, and we responded to support them, too. At $1.35 billion, our Human Services budget is Minnesota’s largest ever investment in the caregiving industry. $889 million will address personnel shortages, while $556.1 million will help people receive care while staying in their homes. Family members who perform care can now be compensated financially. Another $400 million is provided to help nursing homes cover skyrocketing costs.

I promised to put money back in the pockets of our families too, and that’s what we did. We lowered the cost of living for the average family by $2,375 and put tax dollars back into our communities. In fact, thanks to my work on the tax bill, 85% of Minnesotans now get relief from Social Security income tax. This year, I also introduced legislation to provide tax relief to small businesses, and I look forward to advancing that bill next year.

I f you need assistance or want to share your views with me, reach out: sen.heather. gustafson@senate.mn.

S enator Heather Gustafson represents Minnesota Senate District 36.

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