In spite of numerous challenges during the final weeks of the 2007 Legislative Session, lawmakers completed their work and adjourned in a timely fashion. The end result was a budget that came close to the Governor’s original proposal, which was released four months ago. The process of arriving at a final budget was less than ideal, as the details of major spending proposals were kept from lawmakers, as well as the public, until the last hours of the session. One significant disappointment, which was partially a result of the end-of-session tactics, was the decrease in a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for nursing care employees. The final Health and Human Services proposal included only a two percent increase for each year of the ’08-’09 biennium. Then, in a last ditch effort to provide a larger increase, the DFL ‘found’ money and put together a stand-alone proposal which would have provided another half a percent per year in the biennium. This was brought before the Senate about a half hour before the deadline for adjournment, where it passed unanimously, but it never had the chance to go to the House for concurrence. It is unfortunate that we were not able to provide a larger COLA for our nursing care employees within the $438 million Health and Human Services bill, but we will continue to address the issue in the next session. All things considered, we emerged fairly successfully from the 2007 Session. The Legislature approved about $65 million to help veterans, their families and active military members. Funding issues from medical help to college assistance, a nearly 70 percent increase from current funding was provided. Minnesota is preparing for nearly 3,000 National Guard members to return to the state in late summer and has allocated $1.5 million for reintegration programming. Another prominent issue during the 2007 Session, which became law, was the proposed statewide ban on smoking. Starting Oct. 1, 2007, smoking will be forbidden in Minnesota’s bars, restaurants and nearly all other public places. I will be following up in the next few weeks on the activities of the 2007 Session, with a more in-depth review of new laws that were passed, as well as efforts which were unsuccessful this year. Sen, Fischbach is serving in her fifth term in the Minnesota Senate. She encourages and appreciates constituent input and can be reached at (651) 296-2084, by mail to 153 State Office Building/St. Paul, Minn. 55155 or via e-mail at sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn.
