State Rep. Scott VanSingel, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, issued the following statement after the governor delivered her second State of the State address on Wednesday:

“I’m encouraged by many of the governor’s statements in her address, specifically her commitment to tackling serious issues facing our state, such as education and workforce development as well as our ongoing infrastructure issues.

“While many of us on both sides of the aisle agree with the end goals, the debate centers around how to pay for these priorities. I am a firm believer in paying for our state’s obligations upfront, rather than burying our state in a massive debt that our children and grandchildren will have the misfortune of repaying.  To me, this is as much of a moral issue as a fiscal issue.

“I look forward to working with the governor again over the coming months to design a fiscally responsible budget that addresses the challenges and priorities of our state. Based on recent conversations with her and leadership in the Legislature, I am confident we can achieve this goal.”

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