Dear Neighbors,
This shortened legislative session is almost half way done, and I wanted to share some updates with you, including a bill hearing about the Duluth Deep Winter Greenhouse project. You’ll also find updates on the student debt crisis, a property tax reminder with helpful links, and information on small business initiatives being worked on at the Capitol.
Duluth Deep Winter Green House Hearing
This week, a bill I authored (HF 3358) providing funds for the Deep Winter Greenhouse initiative by Community Action of Duluth was heard in the House Agriculture Finance Committee. Chanti Calabria joined me to testify on the project and she did a great job representing a project that will bring fresh food to Duluth residents and provide good local jobs (See photo below). The bill will be considered for possible inclusion in the Agriculture Omnibus Finance bill at the end of session.
TACKLING OUR STUDENT DEBT CRISIS
Several bills to address crushing student debt were heard in the Higher Education committee in the last two weeks. The average debt load of four year graduates in Minnesota is nearing $32,000 – the 5th highest debt burden in the nation. Too many Duluth residents know that student debt can make it difficult to buy a home or save for the future, limiting family budgets and overall economic growth.
Here are some of our ideas this session to reduce student debt. Many of them were heard recently and will hopefully move forward this session:
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Freezing tuition at the U of M and MnSCU to keep college costs down
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Expand the state grant program to open access to more families
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Reduce cost of textbooks by requiring campus bookstores to compare and match prices
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Tax credits for student loan payments to reduce student loan debt
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Expand/improve state’s refinancing pilot program to make repayment more affordable
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Loan forgiveness (up to 3K annually) to those who commit to work in Greater Minnesota
Last year, despite a $2 billion surplus, the House Republican Majority voted for a budget that actually raised tuition on our student at the University of Minnesota and our four-year campuses. With a $900 million surplus this session, we really should make students a priority and finally tackle our student debt crisis.
NEXT GENERATION MAIN STREET ACT
Last week, House and Senate legislators joined small business owners at a press conference to push for passage of the “Next Generation Main Street Act,” an array of proposals designed to support small businesses across the state. Legislators worked with Minnesota small business owners to bring forward initiatives that will reduce costly audits, simplify tax filing for businesses, and make it easier for owners to transfer their businesses to a next generation owner.
The Next Generation Main Street Act key components include:
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Supporting Small Business Start-Ups & Entrepreneurs by making sure that every person that starts a small business in Minnesota is contacted and provided information about the resources available to them. In addition, legislators are working to assist business start-ups with gap financing through the Minnesota Initiative Foundations.
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Helping with Succession Planning by providing grants to Small Business Development Centers to provide transaction services to business owners and next generation, non-family proprietors to help them take over a business.
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Streamlining Audits by simplifying the process to reduce the amount of time and money small business owners must spend on costly audits in a number of ways.
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Simplifying Tax Filing for Small Businesses by enacting federal tax conformity so that Minnesota businesses can file taxes without delay and uncertainty in 2016.
Don’t Forget Your Property Tax Refund or Renter’s Credit
As a friendly reminder, don’t forget to file for your Renter’s Property Tax or Homestead Credit Refund. To see if you qualify, take a look at the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s Instruction Guide. The forms can be accessed here.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue also has information available on filing for free on their website. If you want to file yourself and wonder if you qualify for free electronic filing products or you want assistance from a free tax preparation site, visit this page.
Additionally, the IRS has free filing information available on their website. On the homepage of their website under the banner “Hot Topics” you will see a link entitled “Get Free Tax Preparation Help” or “Free File Tax Software”.
Legislative Survey
You can go online and take my legislative survey here. (www.surveymonkey.com/r/Dist7b) I would appreciate your input on the major issues we’re facing this year. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and your responses are confidential. Please feel free to share the link with other Duluth residents who don’t receive my email updates.
You can always contact me at rep.erik.simonson@house.mn or 651-296-4246. It’s an honor to serve you at the Capitol!
Sincerely,
Erik Simonson
State Representative