Poppe: Budget coming into focus, higher ed targeted

Published 11:17 am Monday, March 21, 2011

The pace has picked up at the State Capitol as the crafting of Minnesota’s next two-year budget is well underway. Legislators face a key internal deadline on Friday. Budget committees are expected to pass budget bills out of their respective committees by then.

Historically, each budget division (such as health care, agriculture, education, public safety) is given a number with which it must fund all its programs. Using what is known as a budget target, the committee then prioritizes which programs it funds and at what levels.

The budget targets were released last week, giving Minnesotans only two weeks to weigh in on the impacts that an all-cuts budget would have at the local level. Getting the bills out early means we have limited time right now to debate the full budget. It is anticipated that we will certainly still be considering the ways to solve the $5 billion deficit in the coming weeks as the all-cuts scenario will not be the solution Governor Dayton will accept. So stay tuned and continue to let me know your thoughts and ideas as we seek to find the compromise acceptable to the majority.

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Minnesota’s priorities are being debated day and night, in committees and spilling into the hallways. The Republican majorities of the House and Senate are working to manage their divergent members, from those who see the need to raise revenue, to the newly elected who believe they hold the responsibility to cut state spending at all costs.

Constituents help to share the message about how spending cuts will impact services and can lead to harmful outcomes for people within our communities. Policy makers can most clearly define priorities when constituents remain engaged regarding expectations and needs. This is helped along when people from our district visit, call and write. Things move quickly at the Capitol, which is why it is helpful to have daily input on issues of importance.

Fortunately, there are additional ways to move Minnesota forward. Specifically, we must change how we do our business. We should all be looking for strategic ways to grow Minnesota out of the current recession and prepare our great state for the future. Since the state runs on a two-year budget cycle, it is easier to have a low horizon rather than looking further ahead and planning for the next two or three decades.

Higher education is a key component to keeping Minnesota great, not just in 2013 but in 2033. While Minnesota’s higher education system is solid, I am committed to making sure it spends its state allocated resources appropriately and that it remains affordable for students and parents. That is why I introduced legislation this week seeking the MnSCU system to look internally and find efficiencies that streamline how it functions, providing the best value to Minnesotans (HF 1108).

Rising tuition is a pressing concern for families across the state. From 2001 to 2011, tuition has increased 70 percent at colleges and 90 percent at universities. Debt is pricing Minnesota’s students out of a higher education degree. Tuition is only part of the problem. It is hard to fathom how the MnSCU system can provide bonuses to top administrators while asking faculty to take pay cuts and students to pay more. The failed business model of “rewarding” top administrators at the expense of others seems out of line in this economy.

The bill’s goal is to drive limited resources to the classroom. It instructs MnSCU to perform a comprehensive system-wide evaluation and develop recommendations for improved effectiveness and increased efficiency. This may include a realignment or transformation of the system as currently configured. The MnSCU system should pursue cutting costs through innovations and shared services. As we move forward, I will consider reforms and strategies for improvement while prioritizing affordable, accessible higher education.

I can be reached rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn or at 888-682-3180.