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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jeff Howe (R)

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This week's news from St. Paul

Friday, April 22, 2016

Dear Neighbor,

We are in the process of putting the finishing touches on this session's largest bills in preparation for bringing them to the House floor.

Language I have authored continues to move along in a number of packages, including measures to rectify a well issue in Cold Spring, improve the hearing process for veterans and more.

Look for transportation to be a big subject of discussion between now and when the Legislature adjourns May 23. I am urging lawmakers to work together to finalize a transportation package this session.

Just about everyone I talk with in our area, regardless of their political persuasion, says they want the Legislature make roads and bridges a priority. We agree on that, so let's start the discussion there and work on a solution.

The cornerstone of the Republican plan is one I authored to direct taxes Minnesotans already pay when purchasing car parts to a special Transportation Stability Fund. Tax revenue on auto repairs, vehicle leases, and rental cars also would apply. By adding in a portion of the $900 million budget surplus and bonding, the Republican plan would fix an estimated 15,500 lane miles of roads and 330 bridges statewide.

On the other hand, the Senate DFL majority recently unveiled its proposed budget targets, devoting less than 4 percent of the $900 million surplus to transportation. In addition, Gov. Mark Dayton and DFL lawmakers continue advocating for a historic gas tax increase and expansion of light rail in the Twin Cities area.

We could repave six lanes on every interstate highway in the state, fund four years of Metro Transit bus operations, make a historic investment in the new small cities road and bridges program and more for the amount of some people want to spend on one train in Minneapolis. Our tax dollars would be better spent improving existing infrastructure such as Highway 23 in our region instead of adding trains in the Twin Cities.

As for the gas tax, it is perplexing to think many of the same people who want to raise the gas tax also are advocating we use less gas. The fact is the gas tax hits low-income earners the hardest and is an unreliable source moving forward. We need a new, stable approach and that is what the House plan provides.

The most significant bill we passed on the floor this week provides much-needed improvements to last year's buffer bill by removing the problematic "benefitted area" language. This upholds the intent of the law by explicitly spelling out that private ditches are not to be included. The bill also ensures fair compensation for farmers by requiring that compensation be based on property value prior to buffer installation.

On a final note, we recently received a report from state officials regarding Real ID. We have learned that, due to software issues, it would cost the state millions of dollars more to get Real ID up and running this year as opposed to waiting until the fall of 2017. That would still be well ahead of the earliest date the federal government would enact new ID standards.

One thing that has become clear is people do not realize currently available enhanced drivers licenses and IDs do meet Real ID requirements. A dozen or so offices statewide offer these IDs and you can find more information at this link. We should expand number of offices that offer the expanded drivers licenses and ID’s so that more people have that option as we work on the Real ID matter.

Good luck,

Jeff