Speaker Kelliher presents priorities.
Topping the list of priorities are extending health care coverage to all children, voluntary full-day kindergarten for all school districts, and a property tax relief bill.
ECM capitol reporter
House Democrats unrolled their legislative priorities for the new session, saying the budget surplus and stricter tax conformity will pay for the extra spending.
Topping the list of priorities are extending health care coverage to all children, voluntary full-day kindergarten for all school districts, and a property tax relief bill.
“We think with the surplus and tax compliance issue we will be able to cover all issues here,” said House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, DFL-Chisholm.
Senate DFLers include tax increases in their agenda.
Other House DFL priorities include throwing a three percent increase onto the K-12 funding formula each of the two upcoming funding years, so-called lights-on legislation designed to prevent government shutdowns, and increasing renewable energy targets.
The agenda also includes a federal tax conformity bill that would adopt recent federal tax changes — Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislative leaders have urged quick passage so taxpayers will not need to amend their taxes.
House DFLers expect to have the bill on the House floor on Thursday (Jan. 11).
The first eight priorities do not include anything on transportation.
House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher explained that funding options would be discussed in upcoming days.
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, questioned the boldness of the DFLer’s legislative agenda. “There’s just not a lot of there, there,” he said.
Seifert questioned the inclusion of the lights-on provision in the agenda, explaining it’s as though Democrats are preparing the stage for drawn out budget negotiations at close of session.
He also questioned whether House DFLers will hold true to their self-diagnosed trait of being fiscally moderate or ultimately moving to raise taxes.
“I think they’re hiding behind the liberal skirt,” he quipped, referring to Senate DFLers and their proposed tax increases.
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