Press Releases
July 29, 2011| Posted in Front Page Slideshow, Paul's Viewpoint, Press Releases, Session Summaries
Dear friends,
The longest shutdown in state history is over. Thank goodness.
That said, I am deeply disappointed by, and concerned about, the final Republican budget that was adopted. At the end of the day, the Republicans agreed to spend $1.5 billion more than they claimed they needed for the six months leading up to the government shutdown. But the Republican plan that Governor Dayton accepted to end the shutdown offers nothing but a beg, borrow, and steal approach that mortgages the future of our state. I voted “No.” You can watch my floor speech in opposition here.
The final Republican budget solved 40 percent of the $5 billion state budget deficit by making a little over $2 billion in difficult cuts — and everyone understood we needed to make significant cuts. The remaining 60 percent of the solution was a non-solution. First, the Republican budget steals over $2 billion from our schools with no plan in place to pay it back. Using our schools as a piggy bank forces school districts like Minneapolis and Richfield to engage in short term borrowing themselves, which takes needed funds away from Minnesota classrooms.
In addition and deeply concerning, the Republican budget includes Washington D.C.-style deficit spending for the first time in the history of Minnesota. The Republican plan authorizes the state to issue $700 million in bonds to pay for current spending. It is like using a credit card to cover day-to-day expenses with no plan and no resources to pay the credit card off. Minnesota has never borrowed against future revenue to fund current operations. And it will cost us in the form of hundreds of millions of unnecessary interest charges that our state will be paying for years to come.
In short, the legislative session started with a $5 billion deficit and the Republican budget leaves us with at least a $4 billion deficit two years from now.
Of course, it is unfair to me to simply complain. The fact is that the legislature had a choice. We could have adopted a permanent, fair and balanced solution supported by the majority of Minnesotans in every poll that asked the question. I supported a plan that included significant cuts but also asked everyone in the state to participate in balancing the budget. Instead of borrowing an additional billion and half dollars as the Republicans did, we could have asked people making over a million dollars a year to pay the same amount in state and local taxes as hard working middle class Minnesotans. We could have asked big corporations who hide profits overseas to play by the same tax rules as Main Street small businesses. Such a tax fairness agenda would have allowed us to avoid the Republican’s borrowing scheme and actually started solving our long term deficit problems.
Needless to say, I am deeply disappointed by the budget solution.
In addition, this was supposed to be the “jobs, jobs, jobs” session. All too many are struggling these days. 200,000 are still without jobs, and many of those lucky enough to have one are facing pay cuts, and are still struggling just to make ends meet. Unfortunately, the Republican-led legislature did next to nothing to support good-paying jobs for middle-class Minnesotans. They chose instead to attack job protections, and the budgets they proposed would have caused tens of thousands of layoffs – including many in the health care industry, one of the only parts of the Minnesota economy that is growing right now. The one bright light is a bonding bill that Governor Dayton insisted upon which will put several thousands of Minnesotans to work restoring our state’s infrastructure.
Finally, I am deeply concerned with the relentless focus we saw in the legislature this year on imposing conservative social policy on the people of Minnesota from criminalizing stem cell research to bringing school vouchers to our state. The Republican majority ended the regular session by spending the last evenings not balancing the budget but instead passing a constitutional amendment to limit who can get married. The Republicans forced the state into shutdown by demanding that the Governor agree to a page and a half of severe social policy as a condition to passing a budget. My hope for the 2012 session is that the focus will turn from social policy that divides us to a government reform agenda that will unite us.
At the end of the day, the results of this session do not reflect Minnesota values. I will continue to work hard to put our kids, our schools, our seniors and middle class families first.
As always, I welcome your comments, questions, concerns and feedback. You can reach me by phone at 651-296-5375, by email at rep.paul.thissen@house.mn, or you can visit or send mail to my office, 267 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155.
Paul Thissen
State Representative
Minority Leader
District 63A
April 13, 2010| Posted in Press Releases
For Immediate Release, Bloomington, MN – April 13, 2009 – Contact: Carrie Lucking
Thissen releases education plan – ‘Student Bill of Rights’
State Representative Paul Thissen, DFL candidate for governor, announced his comprehensive education plan today in honor of American Education Week. The wide-sweeping plan proposes much higher education funding, an aggressive strategy to close the achievement gap, and an effort to broaden the curriculum that Minnesota students learn.
“It’s time to stop bashing teachers and start proposing real solutions for our children,” Thissen said. “We’ve been pretending that starvation is school reform for nearly a decade. It is time to comprehensively address the challenges of underfunding, the achievement gap, and accountability in ways that make sense.”
The “Minnesota Student Bill of Rights,” as outlined by Thissen, is as follows:
1. Every child in Minnesota will receive a high-quality, 21st century education, regardless of where they live, what race they are, or how much money their family has.
2. The State of Minnesota will fulfill its Constitutional obligation to fully and fairly fund public education from early childhood through college.
3. Every child in Minnesota has the right to the early care and learning opportunities necessary to start school successfully.
4. Our children will have access to high quality after-school and summer programming that promotes their success in school.
5. Every Minnesota student will have access to, and be prepared for, higher education that meets his or her learning and career preparation needs.
6. Our schools will offer a broad curriculum that includes core competencies in math, science, reading and writing, but also emphasizes the arts, citizenship, technology, physical health and foreign languages.
7. Every Minnesota child will be taught by high-quality, dynamic teachers who are well-trained, certified, and supported.
8. Class sizes in Minnesota will be reasonable so that our children, and their parents, can build personal relationships with teachers who know them and understand their individual strengths and learning styles.
9. School Boards, school administrators and teachers will be given local control to make decisions that best protect the children in their communities.
10. Parents and the broader community will be invested and involved in Minnesota’s schools.
###
You can read a summary of the plan here.
Paul Thissen represents Richfield and South Minneapolis in the Minnesota Legislature. He is a DFL candidate for Governor.
April 1, 2010| Posted in Press Releases
April 1, 2010
We are proud to announce 3 key community leader endorsements for Paul Thissen for Governor. It was a very difficult decision, and one that these leaders thought about carefully. In the end they decided that Paul is the strongest candidate for Governor.
“For me, the deciding factor was when he came to my Rope Power performance. I want a governor who works hard and shows up,” Emily Thissen, 11, said.
Griffin Thissen, 8, made his endorsement of his dad after a canoe trip. “He steered 
the canoe carefully through some very rough water. I think he can steer the state in the right direction, too.”
Evan Thissen, 6, was probably the toughest to convince to make an endorsement. “It was a hard choice, but my dad is great. He’s the right choice.”
All 3 endorsers attend Burroughs Elementary School in the Minneapolis School District. They are well-connected in the volleyball, soccer, and math communities – key constituencies in the upcoming DFL endorsement contest.
The Thissens have endorsed different candidates in the past, but this time, they decided to move as a block, intending to carry greater influence into the DFL State Convention.
The press release of the Thissen endorsements concluded, “We believe that our dad is the right person to lead our state.
Happy April Fools Day,
Gia Vitali – Thissen for Governor Campaign Manager
Carrie Lucking – Thissen for Governor Communications Director
March 30, 2010| Posted in Press Releases
For Immediate Release
March 30, 2010
Thissen earns superdelegate endorsement
State Representative Paul Thissen, DFL candidate for governor, announced on a live webchat last night that State Senator Ken Kelash is endorsing his campaign for Governor.
Kelash is a long-time member of the Carpenter’s Union and Building Trades. He’s been active in the AFL-CIO and is known as a labor leader in Minnesota. He’s served in the Minnesota Senate since 2008.
Full text of Kelash’s statement is as follows:
Dear DFLer,
Dealing with Minnesota’s budget crisis next year will require a strong pragmatic leader, with a proven record of hard work and understands the challenges we face. Rep. Paul Thissen’s experience and talent are more than enough to meet the difficult problems the next Governor will face.
I appreciate the work of all my DFL friends who ran in the crowded field for Governor. Rep. Paul Thissen stands out as the leader in that field. Paul is the kind of leader that Minnesota needs right now. He’s got a proven ability to get things done in the hyper-partisan environment at the state capitol. He listens to Minnesotans and he works hard on behalf of working class Minnesotans – last session providing an extension in health insurance coverage for those who lose their jobs, making sure that government is being more efficient, and earning top ratings from labor organizations.
Paul understands that jobs for hard working Minnesotans drives our State’s economic engine. That’s who Paul represents in the Legislature and it’s who he will serve as governor. And Paul works for all Minnesotans, not just those at the top.
I urge you to join me in supporting Paul Thissen as the next governor of Minnesota.
Thank you,
Sen. Ken Kelash
Thissen adds this endorsement to his current superdelegate supporters and a growing list of high-profile endorsers like Former Minneapolis Mayor and Congressman Don Fraser. He also has endorsements fro the Minnesota Nurse’s Association, Take Action Minneosta, and eQuality Giving.
“I am honored to have Ken’s support. It is heartening to know that pragmatic leaders who care about working families, like Ken does, see my candidacy as the best chance to take back the Governor’s office,” Thissen said of the endorsement.
###
Paul Thissen represents Richfield and South Minneapolis in the Minnesota Legislature. He is a DFL candidate for Governor.
March 29, 2010| Posted in In the News, Press Releases, Uncategorized
For Immediate Release
Contact: Carrie Lucking
March 29, 2010
Bloomington, MN
Thissen holding live webcast tonight, announcing superdelegate support
State Representative Paul Thissen, DFL candidate for governor, announced today that he will hold a live webchat tonight from 7-8pm.
The webchat will take place at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/thissen-netcaucus. This is the Thissen campaign’s third webcast. The last webcast was targeted at college students. Thissen announced support from a young DFL activist and superdelegate, Dan Weinand, during his campaign’s first webchat in November 2009.
Tonight’s webcast is for DFL activists, delegates, and alternates to the DFL State Convention. Thissen will also announce the support of a superdelegate on the webcast this evening.
Paul Thissen represents Richfield and South Minneapolis in the Minnesota Legislature. He is a DFL candidate for Governor.
Follow Paul