Letters: Cuts to nursing homes, long-term care 'a non-starter'

• Rep. Rod Hamilton

Rep. Rod Hamilton R-Mountain Lake

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While the state’s economy is improving, an enormous state budget deficit projection awaits action.

State economists said Minnesota’s current financial shortfall now totals $5.1 billion, down from the previous November projection of $6.2 billion, which is attributed to better than expected revenue collections for state income and sales taxes.

While the revenue numbers are encouraging, the spending numbers are not. Minnesota’s revenue is currently growing at a rate of 8.8-percent, but that amount is being dwarfed by the 29-percent increase in projected state spending.

With the most up-to-date numbers now in hand, I will now work tirelessly to help the Minnesota House establish priorities while beginning to draft a balanced budget. At the top of my priority list are nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Governor Dayton has already shown a willingness to cut organizations that assist our elderly and disabled, and for me that’s a non-starter. There are far too many other areas of government that need to be looked at for reductions before we target nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and now is the time to begin that public scrutiny.

By the end of March, I expect the Minnesota House to have a balanced budget bill approved.

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