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State Representative Sarah Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5511
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS COLUMN
FIRST MONTH AS A LEGISLATOR FULL OF LEARNING AND NEW EXPERIENCES
By Sarah Anderson
District 43A, State Representative
The first month of the 2007 legislative session is behind us. As a first-term legislator, I can say that it has positively been a great experience that has me looking forward to the rest of the session.
Before I took the oath of office, I sat at a table with three other first-term legislators to share policy ideas with Don Shelby, live on WCCO radio. Meeting the rest of the “freshman class” of legislators outside of the committee room lets us get to know each other as people first and legislators second. That’s something we need in order to focus our work on finding solutions and to work collaboratively with each other.
In the first month, I have also been able to discuss the local economy with area business leaders, meet and host a number of constituents in my office, and get to work writing bills. I’m involved with more than two dozen bills in all, but there a few that I want to briefly mention because of how they will affect our area.
For example, there is a glitch in education funding that hurts districts like ours by limiting the amount of equity revenue our schools can receive. For a school like Wayzata, they could lose up to $400,000 in funding if the law is left unchanged. I have drafted legislation to address this problem and I am working with other legislators to put fairness back in the system.
On the campaign trail, many of you heard me talk about my plan to relieve traffic congestion and air pollution. I drafted legislation that addresses both of these issues by putting an emphasis on telecommuting. Every new telecommuter means one less car on the road and less pollution. My bill gives a tax credit to workers or employers to help them cover the initial and ongoing costs of working from home. Technology changed the way we work, now it’s time to let it change where we work.
On the tax break front, I am proud to say I joined my colleagues in passing some immediate relief. This tax bill increases credits and benefits for teachers, college students, and veterans, among others. Please make sure you and your tax preparer determine your eligibility for these new tax breaks before April 17.
You will hopefully receive much more tax relief for future years. With a large surplus, it is time for real property tax relief. I will continue to make our voices heard on this issue.
The first 31 days of 2007 were encouraging, productive, and successful. I am confident that this trend will continue and that 2007 will be a year we all call a success.
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News Items
- Letter to the Editor - (Posted: 2012-02-20 00:00:00)
- Welcome to the 2012 Session - (Posted: 2012-01-31 00:00:00)
- REDISTRICTING ORGANIZATION TO WITHHOLD MAP FROM PUBLIC SCRUTINY - (Posted: 2011-10-14 00:00:00)
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