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State Representative Kathy Brynaert
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3248
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E-Update
2012 SESSION UPDATE
Dear Friends,
The 2012 Legislative Session has adjourned, bringing an end to the 2011-2012 legislative biennium. I wanted to provide an update on the mixed results of this year’s session.
The focal piece of the second year of a biennium is generally the bonding bill. This session was saved from a complete failure in this respect with the late bipartisan passage of a $496 million bonding bill, which has been signed into law by Governor Dayton. This bill makes important improvements to the state’s aging infrastructure and creates jobs both short and long term. However, the absence of long sought improvements to the Minnesota State University–Mankato hockey arena and the Mankato event center was a serious loss for our region. The bonding package does contain $47.5 million in grants for capital projects that will be selected by the Department of Employment and Economic Development. The city of Mankato will be applying for a grant to make the needed improvements to the arena and Event Center. As you can imagine, there will be steep competition for the DEED grants from across the state. I will continue to work with the City and its partners to move this project forward. I can assure you that the issue of our state's commitment to the economic development of its regional centers remains an ongoing discussion at the legislature.
Funding for the design work for the St Peter Regional Treatment Center and Minnesota State University–Mankato’s Clinical Sciences building establishes an important beginning for these critical projects. Both of these will be in the queue for construction funding in the next biennium. Also, the Mankato transit hub receives funding under the Greater Minnesota Transit program.
The bonding measure along with passage of a new People’s stadium (so designated because it will serve a wide range of needs and audiences in our state), also signed into law, will give a tremendous boost to the construction trades, which have been hit extremely hard by the recession, and create a large number of private sector jobs now and into the future.
A major disappointment this session was in the area of taxes. The majority refused to send a scaled back tax bill that contained only consensus items, like the Research and Development Credit and the Angel Investment Credit, to the Governor. Instead their tax proposal increased future deficits by giving a relatively small amount of relief to corporations at the expense of other property owners. It was subsequently vetoed. Throughout the session, I advocated for a balanced approach to property tax relief that restored the Homestead Credit to lower property taxes on homeowners, small businesses, renters, and farmers alike.
Looking forward, we must provide fair property tax relief and find a way to pay back the $2.4 billion owed to K-12 public schools in a responsible and complete fashion. Providing the needed resources to help schools attain the highest academic achievement levels for students must be a high priority.
On another note, I wanted to make you aware of openings for supervisor candidates for the local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). SWCD supervisor positions are filled through general elections on November 6. Individuals who wish to be on the ballot in 2012 must file for the election between May 22 and June 5.
SWCDs are local units of government that manage and direct natural resource management programs at the local level. Minnesota’s 90 SWCDs cover the entire state and generally follow county lines. Districts work with landowners in both rural and urban settings to carry out programs for the conservation, use, and development of soil, water, and related resources. Managing private lands, whether agriculture, forest, lakes, or urban, is key to Minnesota's quality of life.
More information on the filing process can be obtained at the Minnesota Secretary of State web site, www.sos.state.mn.us. Those interested in finding out what nominating district they live in and which supervisor positions are open for election should contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District office. A directory of SWCDs is located at: http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/directories/SWCD_Dir.pdf
As always, it is a privilege and an honor to represent you. I look forward to visiting with you over the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Kathy Brynaert
State Representative
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