Edited sentence: At the same time, she made sure the state balanced its responsibilities by passing a school budget higher than what the Governor had originally proposed while funding initiatives to fight the spread of methamphetamine and invest in Oregon’s community colleges.During her legislative service, Speaker Minnis has been a passionate advocate for children and they have always been foremost in her mind.In 2003, she made certain that state services for seniors, the disabled and those receiving life-sustaining medications from the state were not cut off due to budget cuts.In 2005 she continued her work to secure the health and safety of children by authoring – and passing – legislation protecting children from abusers and sex offenders.In 2005 she made certain the Legislature kept faith with voters by not raising taxes or referring a tax measure to them.In 2005, she made sure programs for senior citizens were funded after the governor proposed their elimination and she supported the restoration of adult dental care under the Oregon Health Plan and the passage of legislation requiring health plans to include the coverage of mental health services.She authored and led the bi-partisan passage of an Emergency Care Package that made sure those Oregonians were not allowed to suffer and lives were not endangered.Speaker Minnis also has a long record of advocacy for senior citizens and the disabled.Speaker Minnis has sought to strike a balance between the services government provides while being sensitive to taxpayers