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Health & Fitness

Minnesota Schools Almost Fully Repaid

St. Paul, Minnesota — Today, Governor Mark Dayton, DFL legislative leaders, and Minnesota Management and Budget announced that Minnesota schools were repaid an additional $636 million at the end of the 2013 fiscal year.

Minnesota has now repaid nearly $2.6 billion of the $2.8 billion previously borrowed from schools under the 2011 budget passed by the then-GOP controlled Legislature.

“Continuing to pay back the money owed to our schools is good news for schools, students, and our state budget,” said state Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul). “We made a commitment to do the right thing and pay them back, and we’re following through on that commitment.”

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As a result of the 2013 budget passed by the DFL-led legislature and signed into law by Governor Dayton, education received an increase of over $600 million, including the accelerated pay back of the school shift. The budget also included funding of all-day kindergarten starting in the fall of 2014, $40 million for early childhood scholarships, and a two-year college tuition freeze.

Today’s announcement comes just after Minnesota added 12,200 jobs in August, pushing total jobs in the state over the pre-recession peak that was reached in February 2008, and less than a week after Minnesota was ranked eighth in the “Forbes 2013 List of the Best States for Business” rankings.

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“The DFL Budget is working,” added Rep. Hansen. “It’s the first honestly balanced budget in years, it makes significant investments in our future, and our economy is growing. Today is another positive day for Minnesota’s future.”

The full release from Minnesota Management & Budget’s can be found here: Preliminary FY 2013 Closing Balance of $636 Million Allocated to School Shift Buy Back

Rep. Hansen encourages constituents to contact him with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas on any legislative topic. Rep. Hansen can be reached by phone at 651-296-6828 or by email at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn. Constituents can also visit Rep. Hansen’s legislative page and sign up for email updates.


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