May 19, 2008 6:25 pm US/Central
Winners And Losers In Budget Session '08
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
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Lawmakers went home after completing their biggest task: fixing the state's nearly $1 billion budget deficit. (File)
CBS
Lawmakers at the Minnesota State Capitol have wrapped up Session 2008.
Democratic legislative leaders and Governor Tim Pawlenty crisscrossed Minnesota on Monday touting their accomplishments.
Lawmakers passed the final bills and adjourned just before the midnight deadline Sunday evening.
Among the bills passed: $20 million to buy land for a new state park on Lake Vermillion, which will be the first new state park in 30 years.
And the city of Bloomington got permission to raise sales taxes at the Mall of America as well as the city's lodging tax. Both increases will help pay for a $2 billion expansion at the mall.
Of course, there were plenty of winners and losers to be found in this year's session.
Love it or hate it, light rail's back on track. Lawmakers said "yes" to borrowing money to build a new light rail line between Minneapolis and St. Paul.
As for property taxes, they'll probably still go up next year. The good news is that the legislature passed a bill to hold those tax hikes down in the single digits.
For teen drivers, a new law limits passengers in the car to one non-family member, and no driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
Gas prices are pushing $4 a gallon so it's hard to notice, but the gas tax went up 2 cents in April, and it'll rise another 2 and 1/2 cents in September. The money is for fixing roads and bridges.
That's lot of winners, but there were also some losers.
If you're working for minimum wage, you won't be getting a raise. Mandatory seat belts got unbuckled. Medical marijuana for terminally ill patients got snuffed.
Lawmakers went home after completing their biggest task: fixing the state's nearly $1 billion budget deficit.
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For the record, here's what the AP reported as the major achievements of the 2008 session:
-- A joint solution to a $935 million deficit that actually sends more money to schools, nursing homes and veterans assistance than was previously available.
-- A multibillion dollar infusion to build new roads, repair existing highways, replace aging bridges and expand mass-transit options. The money will come from higher sales and transportation taxes, including an eventual 8 1/2 cent increase in the gas tax over the next five years.
-- A $38 million compensation fund to be split among victims and families affected by the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.
-- A constitutional amendment that will let voters decide whether the state sales tax should rise by 3/8ths of 1 percent and set aside the proceeds for habitat restoration, water cleanup and cultural programs.
-- A limit on local increases in property taxes coupled with extra money for municipal services and homeowner tax refunds.
-- An $822 million bundle of public works projects. The majority of the borrowing will be done to pay for construction on college campuses, but sizable chunks will feed into the Twin Cities second light rail line and the purchase of land for a new state park around Lake Vermilion.
-- A health care plan that aims to make medical pricing more transparent, preventive treatment more routine and access to insurance easier.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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