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State Representative Sheldon Johnson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4201
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HOUSE BRIEFS
E-Update - January 27, 2012
Dear Neighbors,
The 2012 Legislative Session is underway. After last year’s contentious session that resulted in a government shutdown — I’m hoping for a renewed sense of bipartisanship, cooperation and collaboration this year.
If the November forecast of an $876 million surplus — the result in large part to savings from federal health care reforms — holds up through the February, the legislature will focus on policy reforms and bonding, rather than emergency budgeting. (The entire surplus is directed by law to go towards replenishing our much depleted reserve accounts.)
Growing jobs and improving the economy must be our number one priority. I support a jobs package that contains tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed Minnesotans, veterans, or graduates in the next year, invests in infrastructure, adds funding for the Minnesota Investment Fund, which has a track record of helping Minnesota to attract businesses to locate or expand here; expands training to fill Minnesota’s skills gap, and internet sales tax fairness, which puts local retailers on a more even playing field with online retailers.
Passing a substantial bonding bill is important this session. Investing in Minnesota’s infrastructure is an essential part of sustaining and enhancing our economic recovery. A bonding bill funds construction projects including improvements and repairs of roads and bridges, transit, flood mitigation projects, buildings on college campuses, and water and wastewater facilities, among others. These projects help businesses and communities grow by building the long-term infrastructure needed for the private sector to prosper. A sizeable bonding bill will put thousands of construction workers, contractors, engineers, architects and others back to work quickly and with record low interest rates and construction costs it is an opportune time to bond for public works projects.
Other issues needed to be addressed are property tax reform and developing a plan for paying back our schools. Minnesota families, workers, seniors on fixed incomes, and small businesses have been hit hard with property tax increases due to the elimination of the Homestead Credit and cuts to local governments. I strongly support restoring the Homestead Credit because of the tax relief it brings to middle-class Minnesotans and small businesses.
My top priority this session is creating jobs and strengthening our economic recovery. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on these ideas.
For more information about the first week back and other issues, check out the Session Weekly link at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessionweekly/
Thank you again for the honor of serving you. I welcome input on these or any other legislative issues.
News Items
- 2012 SESSION UPDATE - (Posted: 2012-05-01 00:00:00)
- 2012 SESSION UPDATE - (Posted: 2012-04-26 00:00:00)
- 2012 SESSION UPDATE - (Posted: 2012-04-19 00:00:00)
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