Maureen Shaver, Deephaven
(reprinted from the Lakeshore Weekly News, September 21, 2010)

Connie Doepke is seeking re-election to the Minnesota House for district 33B. She represents a good portion of the cities that surround Lake Minnetonka and has been an effective advocate for our communities. Connie is hard working and a thoughtful leader. She asks the tough questions about government spending, wants to hold the line on taxes and knows that growing jobs is a top priority.

Connie's long involvement in education issues has made her a knowledgeable supporter of education funding reform and an important participant in the education debate at the capitol. We need Connie Doepke's conscientious representation in St. Paul. Please vote to re-elect Connie Doepke.

Rep. Connie Doepke, Wayzata
(reprinted from the Lakeshore Weekly News, July 13, 2010)

In her June 22 letter, "Taxes," Kim Kang criticizes me for being out of touch with small business owners because I support phasing out the corporate income tax.

Creating an environment friendlier to businesses that employ tens of thousands of Minnesotans makes sense. We need those jobs and want to keep companies from choosing neighboring states with better tax climates. A healthy economy depends on the success of all businesses, large and small, but my legislative record shows I believe small business is the primary engine that drives the economy.

I have an extensive background in both corporate and small business. I have been an active member of the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce for a dozen years, and my husband owns a small business. I understand small businesses.

I agree with Ms. Kang that we must keep personal income tax rates low because most small businesses are taxed at those rates. That is why I fought to stop the new fourth tier income tax her party pushed during this legislative session. Had it passed, it would have increased personal income taxes by $400 million and crushed small business owners in our community.

My small business efforts did not stop there, however. I supported a new law that increases the number of small businesses eligible to purchase "flexible benefit" health plans. More small business owners now have the opportunity to save up to 20 percent on health insurance costs using this option.

I also helped create a 25 percent "Angel Investor" tax credit, which encourages investment in small business start-ups.

In addition, I helped increase the research and development tax credit, while expanding it to include small businesses. These credits will encourage ingenuity and development of new products and ideas.

To address another major complaint I received from small business owners during meetings last spring, I pushed a bill to require small business permits to be issued or denied within 150 days, but Ms. Kang's party voted it down.

My years of experience in business, as well as my experience as your State Representative, have taught me that we all benefit from the existence of both big and small business.

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Connie Doepke (R-Dist. 33B, Orono) is a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Rep. Connie Doepke, Wayzata
(reprinted from the Laker Sun-Patriot, May 28, 2010)

As a 14-year member of the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce and a state legislator representing a district made up of small businesses, I understand small business is the engine that drives the economy. I have participated in many small business listening sessions and talk with leaders in our community regularly. More than anything else, I hear about the need for tax and regulatory relief.

Looking back over the 2010 legislative session there were a few victories for small businesses. Last month Governor Pawlenty signed the Omnibus jobs bill into law. This bill creates a 25 percent Angel Investor tax credit to encourage investment in small business start-ups. The bill also increases the research and development tax credit and expands it to include small businesses. This will encourage ingenuity and the development of new products and ideas.

These moves are steps in the right direction, but we must go further to reinvigorate our small business community and turn this economy around. My colleagues and I have offered numerous pieces of legislation this session that would encourage private sector job growth and decrease government, but unfortunately, these have been voted down or blocked by the majority party.

Several times this session I supported efforts to phase out or reduce the corporate income tax. This would allow Minnesota businesses to grow more and add jobs. It would also encourage businesses to come to Minnesota, or remain here, instead of fleeing to neighboring states with lesser tax burdens.

I also supported efforts to make the permitting process for our small businesses more efficient. This is another major complaint shared by many business owners around the community. The bill would require permits to be issued or denied within 150 days, but it was blocked as well.

Even though the private sector job market has shrunk during the recession, the government sector continues to grow. I have supported legislation to reverse this. Here are two highlights:

Sunset Commission: It would review government agencies/programs for inefficiency and duplication and recommend closure or consolidation of unnecessary operations. This would help us realize the savings and long-term reform we need.

15x15 Initiative: This would reduce the size and cost of state government by 15 percent by 2015.

These common sense reforms, that would keep money in the pockets of hard-working Minnesotans and allow small businesses to retain employees or bring on new ones, were unfortunately blocked by the majority party as well. Instead of working to reduce the size of government, the majority proposed a $400 million tax increase to balance the budget that would harm small businesses striving for economic recovery. Taking more money from our small businesses will not lead to economic recovery.

The status quo is obviously not working, and continuing to drain our private sector resources to feed the growing government is not the answer. As legislators, we must recognize this, and while listening to Minnesota families and small business owners, we must work to enact policies that will make our state great for the long-term.

Budget

The legislature technically did its job by balancing a $3.1 billion deficit without raising taxes, but we left a major problem for next session. Late Sunday night, Legislative leadership reached an agreement with Gov. Pawlenty, and it passed Monday morning during a short special session.

The deficit has been solved for this year, but the next legislature faces a projected $5.8 billion shortfall. I voted against the agreement because it doesn't offer any long-term reform and continues to pass the burden of responsibility down the road.

The agreement makes many of Gov. Pawlenty's unallotments law, but they are only temporary. Next year full funding will kick back in. I wanted to make these cuts permanent, but we had to compromise with the majority who wanted them to remain one-time reductions. We have been living with these cuts for almost a year now and many of the effected programs have already restructured their budgets around them. Making them permanent would have been a good way to help reduce the long-term deficit.

A large portion of the deficit is addressed by a funding shift to K-12 schools. Delaying payments to our schools is not ideal, but shifts like this have been used 18 times in state history. Each time schools have been paid in full. It is certainly better than the alternative-cuts.

The GAMC reform we worked hard for earlier this session remains intact and has been financially enhanced to help rural hospitals provide care. The reform will save taxpayers $700 million next biennium while still preserving coverage for those who need it.

The biggest hang up in negotiations was early adoption of the new federal health care legislation. The majority party was pushing for Minnesota to be one of the first states to adopt, a move that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and give the federal government more control of our health care programs. As a compromise, the next governor can choose whether or not to participate in early enrollment. Look for health care to be a major issue in November.

We did balance the budget, but this plan does the bare minimum. We must take a reform-minded approach when dealing with deficits. Quick fixes, like this plan, leave the toughest decisions for the next legislature.

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Connie Doepke (R-Dist. 33B, Orono) is a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Rep. Connie Doepke, Wayzata
(reprinted from the Lakeshore Weekly News, April 6, 2010)

One of the most talked about issues of the legislative session so far has been Government Assistance Medical Care (GAMC). The program, covering low-income Minnesotans, was scheduled to end as a part of the unallotments Gov. Pawlenty used last year to balance the budget. On March 24, the Minnesota House passed a nation-leading reform to provide continued health care for the poorest Minnesotans relying on GAMC.

The costs of the program have been skyrocketing out of control. The per person cost of GAMC increased 123 percent from 2000 to 2010 and more than 35 percent in the last year alone. These growth rates are simply not sustainable and would risk bankrupting our state. GAMC was projected to cost Minnesota $928 million next biennium.

In February, House leadership proposed their solution to extend GAMC benefits another 16 months, but the plan lacked real reform. I supported the bill, which even the author said was far from perfect, in an effort to continue the discussion, but instead of working on the bill in conference committee (which usually happens) and returning it to the House floor, leadership pushed it through to the Governor's desk. When he vetoed the bill I upheld the veto, so we could return to the negotiating table and come up with an effective, long-term plan.

Democrats and Republicans were then able to come up with a solution to which all parties have agreed.

The reformed GAMC program will cost only $214 million while still preserving coverage - a savings of $700 million. These savings are achieved through a more efficient and streamlined system of care known as coordinated care organizations. The plan also creates a new and separate prescription drug plan to protect hospitals from the high cost of drugs.

For too long the solution in government has been throwing more and more money at programs without any structural changes. We need to dispel the myth that less funding equals a worse program. Success is not measured by how much money spent but by whether or not the people receive the care they need. This is a workable solution that can be adjusted later if necessary.

We proved in Minnesota we can actually work together to achieve long-term, needed reform in a bipartisan manner to help the poorest of the poor. All we needed to do was focus on helping the people in need rather than saving a program.

Deficits, Education, and the Economy
By Rep. Connie Doepke, Minnetonka
(reprinted from the Pioneer, December 12, 2009)

On Dec. 2 we learned that Minnesota is facing a deficit of $1.2 billion to be resolved in 2010. This shortfall makes clear the need for Minnesota government to set priorities, streamline spending, and create the common sense solutions that will help jumpstart Minnesota's economy.

As we work to fix our budget and revitalize our economy, real education reform must be a part of the discussion. I approach education reform from the perspective of a legislator, parent, and former school board chair. I realize the complexities involved. With the current budget situation, we cannot just throw money at the system's woes - that simply is no longer an option. We need to make the most of our current financial and human resources while we contineu to prepare our students to compete and succeed in the global economy. Our area schools are a model of success, and I want to work on real education reforms that will produce these results statewide.

Minnesota is among the leading contenders for "Race to the Top" funds, a federal program designed to reward states that are pioneers in forward-looking yet reachable plans for education reform. Our area schools have a great chance of receiving funds because we have embraced many of the features in "Race to the Top," especially our commitment to develop, recruit, retain, and reward good teachers and principals. With this funding, schools in our area and across the state can further strengthen our commitment to world-class education.

With teachers, students, and parents as a team striving toward the same end of high education outcomes, it is important to provide them the tools that inspire learning and development. Using technology, we can personalize the education experience and allow teachers to become the facilitator of each individual student's improvement.

In place of high-stakes, end-of-year testing, technology can be used to assess students on a regular, topic-specific basis and provide personalized feedback. This information can identify where a student is excelling and where he or she may need help. We can use technology to connect students, parents, and teachers, and by communicating information on student's progress turn assessments from a punishment to a positive.

Unfunded mandates drives up costs and unduly constrain our schools with government requirements for which they receive no financial support. These take away valuable resources - financial and human - from a school's mission of educating our students.

Our local schools and school boards know best what their students, teachers, and principals need to succeed. With local accountability and local control we can measure student progress on a consistent basis and focus on improvement. Within the framework of accountability, we must provide the latitude to achieve positive outcomes.

The bottom line is that Minnesota's students and families, teachers and principals, and taxpayers deserve the best education outcomes. They also deserve a government that is financially responsible and able to promote economic growth. Real education reform can help solve our budget problem and spread statewide the successful education outcome embodied by our area schools. For Minnesota to lead, we must learn. Real education reform can help Minnesota advance toward renewed prosperity and strength.