Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Budget surplus shows Minnesota in the right hands
Minnesota nurses say a strong state can take better care of its citizens
(St Paul) - The latest revenue forecast shows Governor Mark Dayton and the legislature have built a strong foundation for Minnesota moving forward. Minnesota's Management and Budget office shows $1 billion surplus, which will be used to repay Minnesota's schools after years of borrowing.
"It's great news and proof we put the state in the right hands," said Linda Hamilton, RN, BSN, President of the Minnesota Nurses Association. "Governor Dayton and state legislators put the state back into balance."
Lawmakers put the money where it would work for Minnesotans by investing in kids, seniors, and health care and not back into the pockets of corporations. Nurses have long warned that Minnesota can't keep borrowing its way to mediocrity while the elite few profit from the many.
"The Governor inherited $6 billion dollars in debt, and a school system that had to loan us almost a billion of that. Hard decisions had to be made, and we can see the state of Minnesota is back in balance," Hamilton said.
Minnesota needs to continue on the path the Governor and legislators set that ensures all citizens are paying their fair share for the services that benefit all of us. Dayton and lawmakers in Saint Paul need to continue to invest in the future of Minnesota, not repeat the mistakes of past policies that put its citizens deep in debt and in cuts to local services.
"The state's economy is healthy again," Hamilton said, "and we need to make sure Minnesota citizens stay healthy as well."
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About MNA:
With more than 20,000 members in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, MNA is the leading organization for registered nurses in the Midwest and is among the oldest and largest representatives of RNs for collective bargaining in the nation. Established in 1905, MNA is a multi-purpose organization that fosters high standards for nursing education and practice, and works to advance the profession through legislative activity. MNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United.
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About NNU:
National Nurses United, with close to 185,000 members in every state, is the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in U.S. history.
NNU was founded in 2009 unifying three of the most active, progressive organizations in the U.S.—and the major voices of unionized nurses—in the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, United American Nurses, and Massachusetts Nurses Association. |
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