Dear Neighbors,
We’re heading into a long, holiday weekend, and I hope you’ll enjoy it outside with some great Minnesota weather on the horizon. Starting today, many of the bills passed this session will become law in our state.
Here are a few bills I’ve authored that were signed into law:
- $258 million in unemployment insurance tax cut for small businesses
- Probate Modifications
- Marriage License Reform
Unemployment Insurance
Earlier this year, I authored and passed much-needed reform to the unemployment insurance trust fund and a $258 million tax insurance premium reduction. It provides overdue adjustments and insurance relief for our Minnesota small businesses. While it is already in statute, many small businesses will start seeing their unemployment insurance rates decrease at the start of the third quarter.
Probate Modifications
As an attorney, I sponsored a number of bills to make our legal system easier for Minnesotans. This year, I passed two provisions into law. The first portion adjusts the probate code to be in compliance with the new trust code, adds some options for correcting unintentional mistakes in wills, and updates financial levels not adjusted in twenty-five years. The second provision allows you to create a pet trust, if you desire, to leave assets for the care and well-being of your beloved pet after your passing. It was great to have the support of my dog Reagan as I presented this bill in committee.
Marriage License Reform
I passed a bill to eliminate the five-day waiting period for a marriage license. When researching this idea, we found that judges granted an exemption to this rule 100% of the time. The new law gets rid of this unnecessary formality, and saves our courts and citizens time and money. This may not seem like much, but it’s important to try and streamline government whenever we can.
Personal Note
I know I have not sent an update over the last two weeks, but my family and I have been dealing with the loss of a loved one. This past week we laid my father to rest. Thank you for all of the thoughts, prayers, and comments about my father. I really appreciate it. We were blessed to have him in our lives.
Please Contact Me
If you have any comments or concerns about a state issue please continue to contact me via email or call me – your feedback is important to me. It is my privilege to represent our community at the Capitol. I can be reached via email at Rep.Dennis.Smith@house.mn, by phone at 651-296-5502, and US mail address: 13570 Grove Drive, #370, Maple Grove, MN, 55311.
Also, have a great Independence Day, and don’t forget to celebrate the freedom of our great nation!
Be safe!
Dennis