Friends,
On Thursday May 11th, we celebrated the 159th Anniversary of Minnesota's statehood, while I celebrated my birthday that numbered a few years less. It's been a busy time at the Capitol as we've been passing budget bills for the next two years. Read about a couple of them below and I hope you enjoyed the gorgeous weather this past weekend!
Tax Relief & Reform
The compromise Tax Bill between the House & the Senate delivers long-overdue tax relief and reform to middle-class Minnesotans. In total, it delivers over $1.1 billion in tax relief with over half of that targeted to middle-class Minnesotans. It is a strong tax bill that benefits seniors, families with young children, young adults paying off student loans, and more. I hope that Governor Dayton signs the bill when it hits his desk in the upcoming days.
Environment & Natural Resources Bill
As a member of the Environment & Natural Resources Conference Committee, I am proud of the work we did to come to a compromise bill between the House and the Senate that included a number of Governor Dayton's priorities. We put together a good bill that protects our beautiful outdoors and makes needed reforms to the regulatory process. While I am disappointed the Governor vetoed the bill, it has many provisions important to Democrats and Republicans alike. I hope as we continue to negotiate this bill gives us a good place with which to move forward.
Distracted Driving Crackdown
As you will remember, I chief authored a bill this session to aid law enforcement in cracking down on distracted driving. While progress on the bill stalled this year, I do plan to continue to champion this issue in the future as the Star Tribune reports this past week distracted driving is a big and growing problem.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 651-296-5513 or emailing me at rep.mark.uglem@house.mn.
Thank you and have a great week,
Mark