Page 2

2323 MN Senate
Building Capitol Update—February 28, 2019
95 University Ave W
St. Paul, MN 55155
• I serve on the follow-
ing committees:
Health and Human
Services Policy & Fi- February 28, 2019 SD 50 —Bloomington, Richfield
nance, Commerce and
Consumer Protection
Finance and Policy, and February Budget Forecast
Local Government.
The Minnesota state budget Part of this change is due to
• Gov. Walz has an- is required by our constitution revenue collections being slight-
nounced his budget to be balanced. This means that ly under prior estimates, with
proposal. in order for the legislature to the largest driver being the indi-
pass a budget, we need an accu- vidual income tax. The change
• I’m also looking for- rate picture of our budget bal- in the budget forecast is also
ward to meeting with ance, and how it’s predicted to due to expectations of slower
Bloomington and Rich- change. On February 28th, MN economic growth.
field residents about Management and Budget Com-
issues that are being missioner Myron Frans, State The budget surplus number
discussed this year. Economist Dr. Laura Kalam- doesn’t tell the whole story,
bokidis, and State Budget Direc- however, since some state
• My Senate website is tor Britta Reitan presented the
www.senate.mn/ spending is projected to grow
most up-to-date estimate of our by virtue of current obligations.
senatorwiklund budget, referred to as the Budg- The structural balance, which
et Forecast. takes that into account, is $538
How to contact me
million for this biennium, and
at the Capitol: Budget forecasts are re- currently shows an $11 million
leased periodically, most recent- deficit for the next. Ultimately, can have significant effects.
ly in November, with another state finances are sound with Serving on the Health and Hu-
Phone: coming in April. In November, man Services Finance and Policy
over $2 billion in reserves. Committee, I’ll have the oppor-
651-297-8061 the budget forecast showed a
surplus of approximately $1.544 tunity to work on a significant
While a budget surplus is portion of the overall budget.
billion. The February forecast certainly preferable to a deficit,
E-mail: shows a surplus of $1.052 bil- I’ll continue working with my
this change is a reminder of how colleagues in the legislature to
sen.melissa.wiklund lion, a change of approximately important it is that the legisla- focus on responsible budgeting
@senate.mn $492 million. ture take great care in crafting that invests in the priorities all
budgets, and how small changes Minnesotans share.

Representative
Michael Howard
(50A)
651-296-7158 Twitter Town Hall on Insulin Access
rep.michael.howard On Tuesday, February 5th at afford insulin. Alec is the name-
@house.mn
Minnesota History:
noon, if you’re able, I hope sake of the Alec Smith Emergen-
you’ll join me and Senator Meli- cy Insulin Act, S.F. 472, that I’m
On March 3rd 1990, A
Representative sa Franzen (DFL-Edina) for a the chief author of in the Sen- team led by Will Steger
Andrew Carlson Twitter Town Hall on the high of Ely completes the
ate.
(50B) cost of insulin. You can follow the Twitter 3,800-mile International
651-296-4218
rep.andrew.carlson I’ve written before about the Town Hall through the Senate Trans-Antarctica Expedi-
stories I’ve heard, including DFL handle (@SenateDFL) and tion, the first dog-sled
@house.mn from the parents of Alec Smith, by using the hashtags
a Richfield resident who sadly traverse of the continent
#InsulinMN and #mnleg.
died because he was not able to by its widest distance.
Page 2 Capitol Update —February 28, 2019

Governor Walz Unveils Budget Proposal

Governor Walz unveiled his 2020-21 budget
proposal last week, which features approximately
$49.6 billion in total spending.
The budget makes an historic investment in
education to provide every child in Minnesota
with a high-quality education, regardless of their
race or zip code. The Governor’s budget would
close the funding gap and make sure that every
child has a good teacher, receives individual at-
tention, and has access to the materials they
need to compete in today’s economy.
Every Minnesotan deserves access to quality
health care at a price they can afford. The Gov-
ernor’s budget includes funding to extend low-
cost coverage to thousands of farmers, small
business owners, and entrepreneurs. It also pro-
vides every Minnesotan with an additional health
care option, encourages stability in the individual
market, and makes health care more affordable
in Minnesota. Governor Walz has also priori-
tized community prosperity as he looks to ex-
pand access to affordable childcare and housing,
invest in infrastructure and broadband internet,
and give local leaders the tools they need to
succeed.
Following the February budget forecast, the
Governor will make some revisions to his initial
budget proposal. I look forward to discussing
the Governor’s proposed investments over the
coming weeks, and I hope you’ll keep in touch if
you have questions about the budget process.

U of M Regents Election
One of the duties of the Minnesota legislature
is electing members of the University of Minne-
sota Board of Regents. The Board of Regents is
responsible for selecting the President of the U
of M system, as well as overall governance.
The Board of Regents consists of 12 mem-
bers from across the state, of which four mem-
bers are up for appointment this year—three
statewide members (including one current stu-
dent), and one from the 5th Congressional Dis-
trict (Minneapolis and inner-ring suburbs).
The process begins with the Regent Candi-
date Advisory Council (RCAC). The RCAC
interviewed 24 potential candidates, and moved a
smaller list of names forward.
The next step in the process will be a joint
meeting of the House and Senate Higher Educa-
tion Committees, which will recommend one
candidate for each position. The final step is a
joint convention of the entire House and Senate,
where each legislator gets one vote per seat.
As an alum of the University, I take this vote
very seriously, and I’m committed to supporting
candidates who will represent all communities
well and continue the U’s mission of bold leader-
ship.

Looking Ahead...
In the coming weeks, I’m looking forward to con-
tinuing my committee work in anticipation of the 1st
Committee Deadline on March 15th. I’m also looking
forward to meeting with constituents representing
housing advocates, the MN School Social Work and
School Psychologist Associations, arts advocates,
Moms Demand Action, and advocates from the disabil-
ity community. If you have time, I hope you’ll stop by
the Capitol and say “Hi!” otherwise, I’ll see you around
Senator Wiklund with Senate DFL women in
town! the Capitol