The gavel has sounded and the 2003 Legislative Session is underway. It truly is an honor to be serving as your new voice at the Capitol. I'll be working hard in the Legislature these next two years on your behalf.

Many issues will be debated at length in St. Paul this year, but the debate over how to balance the state's projected $4.5 billion budget deficit obviously will dominate the session.

Like almost every other state in the nation, Minnesota has been hit hard by the downturn in the national economy. The state's tax revenues are going to grow over the next two years — by over six percent — but government spending for the next two years is scheduled to grow by over 14 percent. Part of this spending increase is dedicated to property tax relief as the state takes over the general education levy, but even without the property tax reform, state spending still is slated to increase in the next two years by well over nine percent. There lies the problem — the state is spending too much money.

Like Governor Pawlenty, I do not support raising your taxes to balance the budget. We do not have a revenue problem in Minnesota — we have a spending problem. Voters, especially Woodbury voters, sent a clear message on Election Day. Like our families are doing in these tough times, Minnesotans want lawmakers to balance the budget through prudent and responsible spending cuts. I strongly agree with this common-sense approach, and that is why my top priority this session is making sure that "kitchen table economics" — not tax increases — bring the state's budget back into balance.

In addition to working on the budget, much of my time this session will be spent in committee hearings. For the next two years, I'll be serving you on the House K-12 Education Finance and Policy Committees, as well as on the Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Committee. I'm a public school teacher committed to reform and local control, so I'm very happy with my committee assignments and looking forward to getting to work.

Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum also recently announced that I will be the first freshman legislator to ever serve as an assistant majority leader for the Republican Caucus. In this position, I'll be a member of the Republican Executive Board — the 10-member committee that shapes the House Republican legislative agenda and political strategy. I am thrilled to have this opportunity because it will allow me to push the issues Woodbury taxpayers care most about to the front of the legislative agenda.

Many important decisions about the future of Minnesota will be made in the coming months, so to keep you informed, I plan on keeping this website updated with the latest happenings at the Capitol. I want to know your opinions, too, so please don't hesitate to give me a call at 651-578-2582 or send me an email at karen@karenklinzing.com. I really appreciate and value your input.