Friends and Neighbors,
It is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to serve you at the Capitol. On Tuesday January 3rd, the entire House and Senate, surrounded by family and friends, were sworn in by Minnesota Chief Justice Lorie Gildea.
Rep. Barr (right) with her husband Kevin (center) and Speaker of the House
Kurt Daudt (left) on the first day of the Legislative Session.
As we begin the 2017 Legislative Session, I wanted to keep you informed of what’s going on in St. Paul.
This session, I will serve on the Commerce & Regulatory Reform, the Property Tax & Local Government Finance Division, the Transportation & Regional Government Policy, and the Transportation Finance committees. I’m looking forward to having a hand in crafting legislation that will help all Minnesotans.
Tax Relief
Last Thursday, we unanimously passed the Tax Conformity bill that brings immediate tax relief to Minnesotans by conforming state tax provisions to that of the federal government. Minnesotans will see $21.7 million in immediate tax relief this year. With tax season quickly approaching, it was important to pass this bill quickly to avoid headaches and hassles for taxpayers. The Senate passed an identical bill this week and it will now be sent to Governor Dayton for his signature.
Health Care Aid & Reform
House Republicans have also introduced two bills to address both the short term and long term issues with our problematic health care system. One bill (HF1, the 2017 Health Care Emergency Aid and Access bill) will provide direct premium relief and continuity of care to those who need it the most; while a second (HF5) will be focused on long-term solutions to fix our health care system in Minnesota.
We are hard at work to fix the health care system that has been devastated by MNSure and Obamacare. I would appreciate your feedback and ideas on the best way to address this critical issue.
REAL ID
You’ve probably heard about REAL ID in the news lately or seen signs at the airport warning about your Minnesota driver’s license not being sufficient for boarding planes as soon as next year. Well the good news is we have a solution for this problem and it is quickly making its way through committees. In fact, I had the opportunity to hear the REAL ID bill on Wednesday in the Transportation and Regional Governance Policy Committee. I was happy to have the chance to ask questions and support the passage of this bill through committee.
Education
Last Friday, I attended the Association of Metropolitan School Districts annual legislative preview. It was informative to hear from our local school districts about what they need and the various best practices used throughout the metro. Great schools are a top priority for me and I look forward to working with our local districts to make sure they can deliver a world class education to our children.
Local Happenings
I attended and provided a session preview at the Inver Grove Heights Local Issues Meeting presented by the River Heights Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning. It was a great opportunity to speak with local businesses and community leaders about the challenges and opportunities facing our community.
Congrats to B-52 Burgers & Brew on approval of their rooftop and patio expansion. It’ll be great to have one more outdoor dining option for when the weather cooperates. (It will be warm again one day. I think.)
Please continue to stay in touch to share your thoughts and ideas on the bills heard in committee and in session. You can schedule a time to meet with me in my office any time by calling me at (651) 296-3921, or share your thoughts via email by emailing me at rep.regina.barr@house.mn
Thank you and have a great weekend,
Regina