Governor Tim Pawlenty – State of the State Proposals Scorecard
1. The largest budget deficit in the history of the State - times two or three - is staring us in the face… We need to come together, as leaders and as Minnesotans, on a plan to cut the Goliath down to size and then build a brighter future. / Completed. Erased a $4.5 billion deficit without raising taxes.2. We should have a united front against the deficit in Minnesota. Today, I'm asking legislators from both parties to join with me and most Minnesotans to protect hardworking Minnesota families from having government take even more from their paychecks. / Completed.
3. We're going to start this effort to refocus by renaming the Department of Children, Families and Learning the Minnesota Department of Education. / Completed.
4. The Profile of Learning needs to be abolished and replaced with something better. / Completed.
2003
5. We need to move towards performance pay plans for school staff…The best and brightest students in the world need the best and brightest teachers in the world. That means paying good teachers more for excellent teaching. We need to move towards performance pay plans for school staff. / Completed. See Governor’s successful Q-Comp initiative.6. Today I'm calling on the Legislature to enact my plan for JOB Zones to provide an economic adrenaline boost to the most economically challenged areas of the state. / Completed.
7. I will lead efforts to bring the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota together to make two of the nation's premier providers strong partners in developing the treatments, devices and medicines that will revolutionize medical care within a decade. / Completed.
8. Keep track of foreign visitors by putting their visa expiration dates right on their drivers’ licenses…Today, I'm calling on the Senate to quickly embrace this important prevention tool that our law enforcement community has endorsed. / Completed through administrative rule.
9. I will use federal terrorism dollars to accelerate Minnesota's efforts to allow First Responders to communicate. / Completed.
10. We're going to pull together crime victim and anti-violence efforts into a new Office of Justice Programs to provide a seamless system of services. / Completed.
11. Former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger has agreed to lead a Blue Ribbon Task Force of Minnesotans to help us chart a course for the future of health and health care in Minnesota. / Task Force complete, certain recommendations implemented.
2004
1. Last year, I formed a task force on education finance reform. / Advanced a number of task force recommendations but legislature failed to pass them.2. We proposed a series of initiatives this fall to improve education in Minnesota that include:
a. Paying “super teachers” a lot more for performance;
b. Yanking drivers licenses from kids who skip class too often;
c. Providing parents and others with school report cards to improve accountability;
d. Making Internet access more affordable for rural schools; and
e. Expanding charter schools in Minnesota and more. / (a. and b.)
Legislature failed to pass.
(c., d., and e.)
Completed.
3. We’ve asked the Citizens League to lead a state-wide effort addressing the alignment and capabilities of our higher education programs. / Completed.
4. Our current tax code contains a penalty on businesses for creating jobs and investing in Minnesota. We need to eliminate this anti-jobs tax and adopt a single factor formula for business taxes. / . Completed.
5. I am asking you to fund, through the bonding bill, the historic new research partnership between the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota. I also ask your support to enhance the bioscience zones we created last year. / Completed.
6. We’re also creating a one-stop shop for job providers to untangle red tape. We’re improving the permitting process. We’re streamlining technology so that more government services can be provided online. / Partially completed. One-stop licensing and much improved permitting. No one-stop shop for permitting.
7. With a click of a mouse, we became the first state in the union to give our citizens access to safe, effective and less expensive prescription drugs from Canada. / Completed.
8. We want to create a report card that can be used by consumers to evaluate the quality of care at each of Minnesota’s nursing homes. / Report card completed.
9. I ask for your support for our proposal to make those criminals wear GPS monitoring devices for more intensive supervision of such offenders. / Completed.
10. It’s time to give the people the chance to speak on the death penalty for those who commit unspeakable crimes, such as the murder of a child. The punishment needs to fit the crime. We ask that you let the people of Minnesota be heard on this issue by putting it on the ballot. / Legislature failed to pass.
11. We also need to make our travel more safe by lowering the limit for drunk driving in Minnesota to the .08 standard. That change is overdue. / Completed.
12. We’re pushing ahead with HOT lane and FAST lane projects to both expand capacity and finance the construction of new lanes. / Implemented MnPASS and pushing ahead with Urban Partnership Agreement to do HOT Lanes.
13. My bonding proposal contains preliminary funding for the Northstar commuter line, through one of the nation’s fastest growing and most congested corridors. / Completed. Full funding grant agreement will be signed in Dec. 2007.
14. I also propose funding for a high-speed bus line following Cedar Avenue in the South metro. / Currently in progress.
15. We need to end chronic homelessness in Minnesota in the next ten years. / Currently in progress. Goals exceeded each year.
2005
1. That’s why I’m asking the legislature to pass and fund additional financial incentives for service in the Minnesota National Guard as one of this session’s top priorities. / Completed.2. Last week, I announced my K-12 school funding plan. It will increase average per-pupil funding by 5.4 percent. / Legislature failed to pass
3. My proposal offers even more incentives to school districts and unions who agree that teachers will be paid for performance, not just seniority. / Completed. Q-Comp.
4. Our “Get Ready, Get Credit” initiative will give them and their parents a powerful incentive to check back in. We propose to allow every high school student to earn college credits without ever leaving their high school building…Under our proposal, a student who takes college preparatory classes and passes an exam -- paid for by the State, by the way -- will receive college credits as if the student had taken and passed the class in college. / Completed.
5. Today, I propose that we create a university here in Rochester. / Completed.
6. Specifically, [MnSCU] campuses are trying to be everything to everybody. Our resources would be better utilized if we moved towards a Center of Excellence model. / Completed.
7. Pass the U/Mayo partnership bonding package. / Completed.
8. The second part of my partnership plan is operating funds for research…Today, we’re making the next installment payment and committing 20 million dollars more in funding for research. Fifteen million dollars will come from the State. / Completed.
9. ..We’ve formed the Smart Buy purchasing alliance to leverage the bulk purchasing power of sixty percent of Minnesota consumers to demand better health care at a better price. / Completed.
10. We are also proposing to empower consumers by expanding and encouraging the use of Health Savings Accounts, which are like IRAs and 401Ks, except they’re for health care. / Completed.
11. Today, I’m proposing what I call “Turbocharged -- Truth in Taxation.”… When each Minnesota taxpayer receives their annual “Truth in Taxation Form” in the mail, there will be something else in that envelope: three postcards -- one each for the county, city-or-township, and school district – the postcards will be called the Taxpayer Satisfaction Survey. / Legislature failed to pass.
12. We need new BCA agents, new penalties, new jails, new treatment options and new clean-up standards to deal with this new and deadly drug [Methamphetamine]. / Completed.
13. We also need to better track, convict and lock up sex offenders for as long as possible. / Completed.
14. …We also urge the Legislature to pass our proposal to create a new Conservation Heritage Foundation and pass a Constitutional Amendment to further dedicate funding for natural resources and the environment. / Legislature failed to pass.
2006
1. I’ve put forward a package of proposals to further support members of our military and veterans. It includes an income tax exemption for military retirement pay and other assistance programs. / Passed many proposals but legislature failed to include the income tax exemption.2. I ask that you pass the early childhood education initiatives I announced this week to help make sure our youngest get a better start in the education race. / Some elements of proposal adopted.
3. Let’s require that at least 70 percent of school funding actually reaches the classroom. / Legislature failed to pass.
4. We also need to realize that science and math are the currency of our new economy. We need more rigor in these areas. / Completed.
5. We should upgrade our school standards to require Algebra One by eighth grade and Algebra Two and Chemistry to graduate from high school. / Completed.
6. And while we’re at it, let’s bring a lesson from the game room into the classroom, by including digital literacy as part of our school standards so that our kids know how to access and use technology as a basic skill. / In progress.
7. I’m proposing that we provide seven million dollars in financial incentives for at least ten pioneering districts to use AP or IB for all students, in all grades. / Completed.
8. Let’s provide funding so up to five pioneering high schools can show the way by fundamentally overhauling their structure to focus on college preparedness or technical training that is relevant and rigorous for all students. / Legislature failed to pass.
9. I’m directing the Department of Education to develop model Chinese language curriculum so it’s available to every school district. / Completed.
10. The legislature should pass school choice as an alternative for at least our most disadvantaged students. / Legislature failed to pass.
11. I’m directing our Department of Education to seek out and authorize KIPP charter schools in Minnesota, focusing on areas where our needs are the greatest. / Completed.
12. Today I’m directing the Department of Employee Relations to incorporate “pay for performance” into the state’s health plan… / Completed.
13. Last year, we required some healthcare providers to supply some cost information. Now it’s time to require it from all providers and for more procedures. / In progress.
14. We need electronic medical records…I am proposing a $12 million program to help small healthcare providers make the transition to an interconnected electronic medical record system so that medical errors are reduced and healthcare is improved. Today I am also challenging the providers and healthcare plans to match this amount so we can make progress more quickly. / No private match. State funding completed.
15. I am grateful for the recent efforts to reform the governance of the great outdoors and the use of the Environmental Trust Fund. Please pass these reforms this year. But let’s also take the next step, and fund the development of a long-term, statewide strategic plan for conservation / Completed.
16. I also urge you to pass a Constitutional Amendment to dedicate funding for conservation and clean water. / Legislature failed to pass
17. So while we’re waiting for the Constitutional Amendment to pass, let’s make a $20 million investment, right now, for Clean Water Legacy funding. / Completed.
18. I also urge you to approve my bonding request for $200 million for conservation, the outdoors, and parks. / Completed.
19. Likewise, let’s pass my proposal to achieve a 90 percent reduction of mercury emissions to keep the air and water clean for our kids. / Completed.
20. Let’s lead the way and set a strategic goal of “25-by-25”--so that 25 percent of all types of our energy will come from renewable sources by 2025. / Completed.
21. In 2004, I signed an executive order that requires the state to purchase renewable fuel vehicles. Today, I’ve signed an executive order to require state employees to actually use E85 in our state vehicles. / Completed. 2007 state fleet E85 usage will be double that of 2006.
22. Let’s put a cap on property taxes. / Legislature failed to pass
23. Let’s accelerate the move toward a single sales factor corporate tax so we don’t punish job creation and plant expansion in Minnesota. / Completed.
24. Let’s encourage our dairy producers to innovate by passing a dairy investment tax credit. / Legislature failed to pass
25. And here’s a no-brainer: Let’s eliminate the marriage penalty in our tax code. / Completed.
26. I urge us to come together to pass meaningful and responsible reforms to Minnesota’s eminent domain laws. / Completed.
27. Let’s walk the walk and hold ourselves more accountable by passing performance pay for politicians. / Legislature failed to pass
28. Let’s define marriage in our Constitution as being between a man and a woman. / Legislature failed to pass
2007