Sen. Rest Says She Won't Vote for the Budget Proposal

Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-District 45) says she will not vote for the proposal Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican leaders agreed to last week.

The agreement will only push the state's financial problems to 2014-15, she said in a news release.

These are the items the governor and GOP agreed upon:

• Shift school aid payments from 70/30 to 60/40 ($700 million)
• Issue tobacco bonds to cover remaining gap (to be determined)
• Increase per student formula by $50 per year to cover additional borrowing costs ($128 million)
• Add $10 million to University of Minnesota to equalize reductions with MnSCU ($60 million)
• Restore funding to Department of Human Rights and Trade Office

Dayton, however, added some conditions before he'll approve the bills:

• Take all policy issues off the table for the time being
• Drop a 15 percent, across-the-board reduction in the number of employees at all agencies, regardless of their funding source
• After all the budget issues have been resolved in a special session, the GOP must support and pass a bonding bill of at least $500 million next session.

The details of this agreement still are being worked out. Once the governor approves the bills, he will call a special session and the now 18-day-old shutdown will end.

While she acknowledges that most people are relieved an end to the shutdown is in sight, Rest said, "The $700 million payment shift for schools is another cut to K-12 systems, forcing many to borrow to meet their budgets. And in this economy, it will be interesting to see if anyone will buy the tobacco appropriation bonds."

She said she was "open to many permanent revenue alternatives," but none were included in the agreement.

"I think it is unrealistic to assume that Minnesota's economy will grow so fast that the structural ongoing imbalance will be erased," she said.

Rest said a special session could be called as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.