I recently had the pleasure of meeting with BSU Student Senate members, above, and other BSU students, below.
Dear Neighbor,
Work at the Capitol was put on hold this week in recognition of the Easter/Passover holidays. This has allowed more time for me to talk face to face with people in District 5A in what has been a packed schedule of meetings and events.
To touch on just a few, I met with BSU President Faith Hensrud and her executive leadership team, Students United, the Boys and Girls Club, an Eckles Township town hall meeting hosted by the Beltrami County Farm Bureau, and a groundbreaking of the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji. Thank you to all the local folks who took time to share their thoughts on the issues and the feedback I received will be helpful as we make decisions in St. Paul.
I also met with area media to provide an overview of what has taken place so far this session and to look ahead at the home stretch as we get closer to adjourning in late May. Here is a clip from Lakeland News and here is a link to a Bemidji Pioneer article.
On a different note April 18 is the tax deadline, I would like to remind people that a new law enacted last year fully exempts military pensions from Minnesota state income taxes, beginning with 2016 filings that are due this year. Minnesota had been just one of five states to fully tax veterans pensions, but this recent tax change fixes that problem and properly recognizes those who have sacrificed so much. There seems to be some lack of awareness on this new tax benefit, so please share this information with anyone you think may be interested so they can be sure to take advantage of this opportunity on their taxes.
Work on setting a new state budget will enter a different phase when we return to the Capitol next week. Both the House and the Senate have passed their full list of omnibus finance bills that fund various components of the state budget. The next step is for joint conference committees to form in order to work out the differences between House and Senate proposals and put them in shape for consideration on final approval so we can get them to the governor for his action.
Look for more as those and other developments unfold at the Capitol. Until then, I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter/Passover weekend. Please drive safely if you are traveling to be with friends and family.
Sincerely,
Matt