The Real Prize… The Minnesota State Senate
Some months or a year or so ago, your Gopher State Politics Institute pointed out that the most important project for the GOP was taking the Minnesota State Senate. The voters agreed and the Republicans took the Senate by one seat. A majority is a majority.
This will mean sensible legislation can make its way through both chambers. The issue is still the Governor signing on. That will not be an easy task what can be negotiated is probably up in the air. Come January we’ll start to get a feel for what might happen.
Taxes of course are always an issue. A surplus is not really a surplus; it is a product of over taxation that leads to excessive spending and a spiral of continuing increased taxation. Roads will have endless demands. Education is always a biggie. But let’s just concentrate on the health insurance disaster.
Congress may well emasculate Obama Care if they can’t outright repeal it. Health Exchanges – MNSure could be demolished. Do we bring back Minnesota Care? Rumors from the east are that catastrophic coverage will be handed back to the states. Will there be any federal cost sharing? How long will it take Congress to undo the ACA?
We do need to understand that the Minnesota economy is not stellar. Remember that we have been losing taxpayers since 2002 and more recently our state was having a net exodus of Adjusted Gross Income of nearly one billion dollars a year plus we were losing working age earners from age 35 up. This is a serious matter that the legislature should consider and act on. We do not want to drive business, jobs and taxpayers out of Minnesota. When our system is promoting this, we ought to take corrective measures without the usual partisanship.
The challenges are out there. Our political leadership must meet them head on. Our Governor need not be an obstructionist. The bonding ought to be quickly put away so that other matters can be front and center. Results are paramount. Will it happen? We’re not so sure. We are reasonably optimistic that things will turn out a little better than we think now.
Bob Smith 3rd
Gopher State Politics Institute
GopherStatePolitics.com
Leave a Reply