Representatives in the Minnesota Legislature are taking a brief break this week from crafting our state budget and deciding how much they’re going to invest (or not) in programs and services that benefit Minnesotans – a process that happens every two years. This biennium, under Republican control of the House and Senate, disinvestment is the theme.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what they’ve done:

• Make it harder for kids to get an equal education: Republicans voted to underfund K-12 schools and eliminate the state’s pre-K program. You can see how much Republicans are trying to short your school district here.
• Put insurance company profits over Minnesotans’ healthcare: Republicans voted to give insurance companies hundreds of millions of dollars, with no guarantee of reduced premiums or improved healthcare for Minnesotans.
• Jeopardize Minnesotans’ healthcare access: Republicans voted to slash funding for Health and Human Services programs and eliminate MNSure, which will make it harder for Minnesotans to access healthcare and maintain basic living standards.

And what they’re planning to do when they get back:

• Make it harder to protect our air, water, and land from corporate polluters: Republicans want to dismantle protections that keep our air and water clean.
• Give huge tax cuts to corporations and the wealthiest Minnesotans: Republicans want to dole out tax giveaways that will negatively impact investments in public programs and services that benefit us all.
• Ruin Minnesota’s beloved state parks: Republicans want to underfund Minnesota parks by millions of dollars, making it harder (or even impossible) to maintain trails and keep campgrounds open.

That’s what happens when Republicans control the entire legislature. We’ll continue to hold them accountable to the people of Minnesota and keep you posted on their harmful actions in the coming weeks.