Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

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

Back to profile

Tax relief and more from the Capitol

Friday, January 13, 2017

Dear Neighbor,

The big news from late this week is the $21.7 million in tax relief the House passed last week is now in the hands of the governor, with enactment planned for today. The bill brings the state tax code into compliance with federal provisions in time for Minnesotans to benefit this tax season. More proposals for tax relief are to follow in the House.

Meantime, the House has continued addressing a couple other pressing matters this week: Real ID and health insurance premium relief.

The Civil Law Committee on which I serve passed a Real ID bill (H.F. 3) on Tuesday. The bill would bring Minnesota into compliance with changing federal standards on IDs required for certain purposes, including to board commercial, domestic flights. The upcoming presidential administration has given no indication it will deviate from the implementation, meaning we have approximately one year to gain compliance or the state’s standard forms of ID will no longer suffice.

The bill our committee is the same as the one the House passed with strong, bipartisan support last year, only to have it die on the vine in a conference committee. The bill we approved this week again is a two-tier system, including an opt-out path for citizens who choose to abstain from Real ID. There are measures to protect people from suffering extra costs if the implementation date crosses with their regularly scheduled renewal date.

As for health insurance, we have been working on the 2017 Health Care Emergency Aid and Access bill in the committee process after Democrats blocked House Republican efforts to bring urgency to the bill last week. The main two points on this package is it would provide immediate relief to those who need it while also ensuring continued access to doctors for critical patients. It also begins individual market reforms to improve the consumer experience.

We are working to pass this bill as fast as the process will allow. If we were able to declare urgency on the bill it could be passed in short order. But, as of now, the Democrats have not joined in that effort and have delayed the ability to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.

Sincerely,

Jeff