Accessibility menu
State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
Delay filing 2006 tax return – savings could be on the way
With tax time just around the corner, the members of the House moved quickly on Thursday to pass a significant tax relief bill. The Federal Conformity Bill adopts changes passed at the federal level since the adjournment of the 2006 Minnesota legislative session, and will provide over $25 million in tax relief for college students and families, teachers and combat veterans.
One provision in this bill will extend the deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses, allowing low and middle-class taxpayers to deduct up to $4,000 of higher education tuition and related expenses. It is anticipated this could save money for as many as 110,000 Minnesota families.
K-12 classroom teachers will be allowed a $250 above-the-line deduction for books and supplies they purchase for the classrooms.
Finally, members of the military, including the National Guard, will be allowed to use their tax-exempt combat pay as a basis for IRS contributions. This will help soldiers, who typically have no other pay while they are in combat, to build their retirement account.
Even though a comprehensive tax bill is usually debated and voted on after several weeks of committee meetings, it was considered important by both parties to suspend the rules and vote on this bill early in order to make the tax-filing deadline. The bill passed with unanimous support in the House, and is expected to pass in the Senate and be signed by the Governor sometime next week. I'm very pleased we were able to reach the bipartisan support we needed to move this bill up on the calendar and pass it in time for this tax season.
I-90 Group
This bipartisan coalition of legislators came together in mid 2005 to advocate for the economic growth and vitality of southern Minnesota. This group is made up of legislators from southern Minnesota who represent districts within 50 miles of Interstate 90. We had a good turnout at our first meeting of the 2007 legislative session, with many new members attending. Over the next few weeks we will identify our top legislative issues for the 2007 session. I anticipate that continued support for bioscience development will be a top focus, as well as strengthening our rural schools, enhancing local roads and bridges and greater support for entrepreneurship and small business development.
Also this week, I attended the day-long 2007 Legislative Conference at the Humphrey Center at the University of Minnesota. This is an annual conference for members of the House and the Senate, and covers topics that are important to us as legislators. The presentations will help us plan for the future: Minnesota's place in the Global Economy, Minnesota's Changing Demographics, The Changing Role of State Legislatures and Technology and the Global Economy. One of the more interesting aspects of the day was the panel of distinguished state leaders, former Governors Arne Carlson, Wendell Anderson and Al Quie, and former Congressman Martin Olav Sabo. Each of these leaders faced some unique trials during their terms in office and shared their humorous and serious perspectives with the audience.
As always, I welcome your suggestions and questions. Please feel free to contact me at any time - I can be reached by phone at 1-888-682-3180 or 1-651-296-4193, by mail at 487 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn. If you are interested in receiving my session e-newsletter, please email me and your name will be added to our list. If you would like to stay more closely in touch with what is happening at the legislature, visit my website at http://www.house.mn/27B or the House of Representatives website at www.house.mn.
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.