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Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Denny McNamara

359 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3135

For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317

Posted: 2008-05-19 00:00:00
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NEWS COLUMN

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM REP. DENNY McNAMARA

We have just put the finishing touches on the 2008 Legislative Session.
The results are really good.

First and foremost, we’ve solved our projected $935 million budget
deficit. We did this by making $355 million in spending cuts, making
changes to the foreign operating corporate tax system which will yield
roughly $100 million in new revenue, and taking $500 million from
Minnesota’s rainy day fund.

We’re also going to see some property tax relief as $25 million is
dedicated just for that purpose alone. Our cities can also expect more
Local Government Aid, Hastings alone we receive just over $120,000
additional. In addition, there will be a 2% increase for LGA in 2011,
and a 4% increase in 2012. A 3.9 % property tax cap will also be put in
place for the next three years in order to limit the size of local
property tax increases. Also we were able to keep the State Tax
deductibility for home ownership.

Nursing homes will also benefit, as cost of living adjustments were
increased by one percent, with an additional one percent as a one-time
funding bonus.

We’re also going to see some health care reform. And here’s some
good news for our business owners: the approved legislation provides tax
credits for individuals and small employers who enroll in 125 plans, and
provides grants to encourage employers to set up 125 plans - which leads
to a state tax deduction.

Our local schools will also benefit as they will receive a $51 per
pupil funding increase. Also, the Q-Comp program which rewards teachers
for outstanding performance and results will remain intact.

All in all, the final product should work well for the people of
District 57B. It took us a while to get there, as we used more
legislative days this biennium than we ever have in the history of the
state, but the end results are encouraging.

Even though session has ended, please continue to contact me if you
have questions or concerns. And, as usual, I’ll be going door to door
again this summer to ask about your concerns, so look for me to visit
your home as well in the coming months.

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