Dear Neighbor,
Happy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday season with your friends and family.
On Tuesday this week, the 2017 legislative session began. I was sworn in to office for my third term to represent our district. It is truly an honor to be an advocate for our community at the State Capitol.
I would like to take a moment to give a brief update on what’s happened in the first week here at the Minnesota Legislature:
Governor Dayton’s Jobs Bill
Dayton unveiled his jobs bill on Wednesday, which would complete over 240 projects statewide and create an estimated 22,950 jobs. It’s essential we as a Legislature act now to prioritize these projects, as interest rates are historically low for the cost of bonding. I was pleased to see the list of Minneapolis projects included in the Governor’s proposal:
· Mill City Museum
· Minneapolis Parks
· Minneapolis C&T College
· Stone Arch Bridge
· U of M Twin Cities Campus
· Minneapolis Veterans Home Truss Bridge Project
· Minneapolis Emergency Operations Training Facility (EOTF)
· Family Partnership
· Minneapolis American Indian Center
· Minneapolis People's Center
· Hennepin County Interstate 35W Access
· South Minneapolis Workforce Center
If you have any questions or comments on a specific project, please let me know.
Governor Dayton’s Tax Plan
The Governor shared his tax plan yesterday, which would contain $300 million in tax relief. A significant portion of this would provide tax credits to college graduates with student loan debt, teachers and families with high childcare costs. You can read more about the Governor’s proposal here.
Health Insurance Premium Debate
Two different proposals were before the Minnesota House on Thursday to address the health insurance premium increases for effected families within the individual market.
The Governor’s plan, which was originally rolled out at the end of October, was presented and would provide a 25 percent rebate for monthly premium bills. The relief process would begin immediately upon passage of the bill.
The House Republicans plan bundled a limited rebate with several complicated and questionable healthcare reform policies.
While both pieces of legislation were discussed on the House Floor, neither came to a vote. I’m hopeful the House GOP will realize that serious reform comes with serious vetting, collaboration and engagement with the public.
I applaud Governor Dayton for his swift action to move quickly on these thoughtful and thorough solutions to the challenges our state faces.
FREE SAND FOR ICY SIDEWALKS
The City of Minneapolis has multiple sites where Minneapolis residents can pick up free sand for icy residential sidewalks. To find a location near you, click here.
As always, please feel free to contact me on any issue you care about. I appreciate your input.
Sincerely,
Raymond Dehn
State Representative