2008 LEGISLATIVE SESSION HIGHLIGHTS
The Minnesota Legislature adjourned in May after one of the most successful legislative sessions in recent years. By working in a bipartisan manner, we delivered on the basics and made our state a stronger, healthier, more affordable place to live.
Because of the work we accomplished together, Minnesotans will benefit from nation-leading health care reform, innovative economic development efforts, critical movement on transportation, groundbreaking environmental and energy policy, and new education funding for K-12 schools.
More than 40 states, including Minnesota, faced serious budget shortfalls this year due to lower than expected revenues from our nation's recent economic downturn. But Minnesota lawmakers on both sides of the aisle met the challenge of balancing our $935 million budget deficit in a fiscally responsible manner.
Below is a brief overview of some of the major accomplishments made in the Legislature this year. I hope you will find it helpful in sorting through what was achieved at the Capitol during the 2008 session.
Education
• Held tuition increases to a ten-year low at Minnesota colleges and universities
• Delivered $51 per student in new funding for all Minnesota schools in 2009 providing an additional:
-$463,307 for Hopkins School District #270
-$577,744 for Eden Prairie School District #272
-$459,892 for Minnetonka School District #276
Health Care Reform
• Made coverage more affordable for those with insurance
• Provided coverage for over 100,000 uninsured Minnesotans, including 30,000 children
• Streamlined billing processes to eliminate waste
• Focused on preventative care to reduce the frequency of costly chronic diseases
• Increased funding for nursing homes
Jobs and Economic Development
• Helped small employers save money on health care
• Created over 40,000 new jobs through public improvement efforts
• Encouraged entrepreneurship and investments in high-tech industries
• Invested in job training and higher education facilities
Transportation
• Dedicated needed resources to construct and maintain safe roads and bridges
• Increased transit options including park and rides and expanded bus service
• Provided funding for a new Central Corridor connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul
• Outlawed text messaging behind the wheel
• Enhanced safety for teen drivers
• Increased oversight and accountability at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)
Environment
• Gave voters the choice this November to dedicate a new portion of the sales tax (3/8 of one percent) to the environment and natural resources, parks, and cultural heritage
• Built critical clean water infrastructure and restored endangered wetlands
• Implemented new protections from harmful invasive species
Energy Reform
• Funded research at the University of Minnesota to reduce energy consumption 90 percent by 2030 in new and reconstructed buildings
• Created new strategies to capitalize on the potential of an emerging green energy economy
• Supported the production of alternative energy from solar, wind, and biofuels
Capital Improvements
• Dedicated over 70 percent of this year's bonding bill to improvements at Minnesota's higher education institutions and economic development efforts throughout the state
• Invested in environmental improvements, flood mitigation efforts, and water treatment facilities
• Provided funding for the Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial