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State Representative Kathy Lohmer
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4244
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
HOUSE BRIEFS
E-Mail Update: Tax Relief & Job Creation Act and My Autism Bill
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Last week I was proud to vote in favor of the Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, which will make Minnesota a more economically competitive and attractive place for job creation.
The Act will build upon the positive economic news we have received since November. With two consecutive surpluses and the addition of over 30,000 jobs in just three months, we can see that reigning in government spending and government growth helps to produce the private sector jobs Minnesotans want and need. This economic news simply underscores the fact that we do not thrive under tax-and-spend stimulus spending; we need to continue to encourage our small- and medium-sized businesses and job creators that we’re on their side. Much work will need to be done, though, in light of the fact that Minnesota has been ranked has having one of the worst business tax climates in the nation.
The Tax Relief and Job Creation Act aims to:
Reduce the statewide business property tax rate to help businesses invest in employees and growth, not burdensome, regressive taxes.
Emphasize action for high-growth industries to make Minnesota a magnet for the medical device and bio-technology industry.
Provide incentives to create a well-trained workforce in Greater Minnesota, and help the men and women who fought for our country find jobs back home.
Target new benefits and reform existing ones to ensure they are helping more Minnesota-based businesses, especially in rural Minnesota.
The Act contains several components, and I encourage you to click here and read more about this pro-jobs and pro-business legislation.
Voter ID
Last week the House passed the widely popular and common sense Voter ID bill.
Poll after poll reveals that an overwhelming majority of Minnesotans – always between 70 and 80 percent – believe that voters should have to show a valid photo identification in order to cast their ballot. It seems common sense enough; however, in Minnesota you don’t need to do so, and this leaves the door open for voter fraud. (To see how easy it is to commit fraudulent voting, please watch a video here.)
Similar legislation passed the Senate on Friday night, and if both the House and Senate can agree to the same bill language, a constitutional question will be placed on the November ballot stating: “Should the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require all voters to present valid photo identification on Election Day and that the state provide free identification to eligible voters?”
In the end, it will be in the public’s hands as to whether or not to amend our Minnesota Constitution with this provision.
Stillwater Bridge Event
On Friday I met with Minnesota Governor Dayton, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and many other local elected officials and community leaders at the Stillwater Bridge. We discussed the president’s recent signing of a bill that will allow for a new bridge to be built over the St. Croix River that connects Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The current bridge is in great disrepair, and building a new one will enhance travelers’ safety and create several short-term jobs. I was proud to stand with a bipartisan cohort in support of this project.
Photo by Katherine Tinucci, Governor Dayton’s Office
Autism Campus Bill
Last week I presented my bipartisan bill, House File 2252, to the Health and Human Services Reform Committee. The legislation calls for a pilot program residential campus designed for individuals diagnosed with severe autism. The idea for this plan was brought to me by Dr. Sheryl Grassie, Executive Director of End of the Spectrum Residential Options for Autism, and mother of a son with severe autism.
Currently, individuals with severe autism either live at home or are housed in four-bedroom group homes that often have long waiting lists and can be, in some ways, socially isolating. These children and young adults can’t always live at home, because they require constant, 24-hour supervision that parents cannot always support on their own. Many of the children are non-verbal, have limited communication capabilities, or lack the ability to keep themselves safe. That is why Dr. Grassie and I are working to develop a plan that would allow for around-the-clock care and a sensory-controlled environment to fit the unique needs of people with severe autism.
We have proposed a campus model that would include acreage, a school, farm animals, and a beneficial social setting and community life. It would also provide 24-hour supervision, therapeutic programming, as well as independent living skills, socialization, and vocational skills.
I believe that we can meet these individuals’ specific needs in a holistic way. One idea is to develop autism campuses. This would be a “choice” for parents, and no one would be forced to go there. States with similar models have seen incredible results, not only for the individuals, but also in cost savings. In the end, we can provide a better community life, better quality care for even more people, and do it more cost effectively.
To learn about other campuses around the country, please visit the following websites: Camphill Special School in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania (www.camphillspecialschool.org), Chileda Institute in La Cross, Wisconsin (www.chileda.org), Bittersweet Farms in Whitehouse, Ohio (www.bittersweetfarms.org), and The Homestead in Altoona, Iowa (www.thehomestead.org).
As always, it is a pleasure and a privilege to serve as your State Representative in St. Paul. I will be holding my next “Capitol Conversations” appointments on Friday, April 6, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Gorman’s Restaurant in Lake Elmo. Please call Kate Hensing at 651-296-9471 to set up a 15-minute appointment, and always feel free to call or e-mail my office at any time. I am here to represent the interests and priorities of District 56A.
Kind regards,
Kathy
News Items
- Community Update: Lily Lake Safety Concerns - (Posted: 2012-08-22 00:00:00)
- GOV. SIGNS REP. LOHMER'S HUMAN SERVICES EXPANSION BILL FOR CHILDREAN WHO ARE DEAF, DEAFBLIND, OR HARD OF HEARING - (Posted: 2012-07-02 00:00:00)
- E-Mail Update: Happy Fourth of July! - (Posted: 2012-06-26 00:00:00)
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