Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Here is an update from the Capitol
In this Issue:
· Court Ruling Overturns Dayton Line Item Vetoes
· Omnibus Bills Continued
· Community Events
· Peppin’s MinnTriv
Court Ruling Overturns Dayton Line Item Vetoes
On Wednesday, the Ramsey County District Court ruled in favor of the Legislature, stating that Governor Dayton’s line item veto “zeroing out” legislative funding violated the Separation of Powers clause in the Minnesota Constitution.
The summation of the court ruling stated that “the court holds that Governor Dayton improperly used his line-item veto authority to gain a repeal or modification of unrelated policy legislation by effectively eliminating a co-equal branch of government. Therefore, under the unique and limited circumstances of this case, the Governor’s line-item veto of the Legislature’s appropriations offended the Separation of Powers clause of the Minnesota Constitution. They are null and void.”
The Governor has indicated he will appeal this ruling. Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on this frivolous action, the Governor should accept the judge’s ruling and direct his attention to the numerous challenges facing our state.
Omnibus Bills Continued
Last week I shared details about the major budget bills that passed earlier this year. This week I will talk about tax relief and higher education.
Tax Bill
One of the most significant accomplishments this year was a $650 million middle-class tax relief bill that will put more money back in the pockets of families, seniors, small businesses and hardworking taxpayers across the state.
Highlights include:
· Nearly 284,000 senior citizens will receive tax reductions, with 72,000 no longer paying any state income tax on their Social Security benefits
· A first-in-the-nation tax credit for Minnesotans with student loan debt
· $36 million for families with young children with modifications to the child and dependent care credit
· Relief for local businesses by exempting the first $100,000 in property value from the extra tax on businesses, as well as a provision to freeze its automatic inflator
· $20 million in subtractions and credits for families saving for college using 529 Savings Plans
· Relief for famers and agriculture land owners by reducing their burden related to school bond referendums
This tax bill was about returning money to those who helped fund our state’s surplus, and I am pleased we were able to get a bipartisan tax bill signed into law this year.
Higher Education
For higher education this session, legislators worked to address affordability, accountability and accessibility in Minnesota colleges and universities. In all, we provided $3.28 billion toward higher education, an increase of $210 million over the previous biennial budget.
Highlights of that bill include tuition freezes at two and four year Minnesota state colleges and universities for the 2018-19 school year, increasing opportunities for students with learning differences to access higher education, establishing a scholarship program for qualified teachers of color, and funding for cancer research.
Community Events
Local Theater
The northwest suburbs are blessed to have two high quality theater companies, and both will be performing this month.
Bunce Backyard Productions, a Maple Grove musical theater company will be "celebrating 10 years of backyard theater magic" with this year's production of Peter Pan. The production includes a live orchestra and cast of 70 performers. Performances will be July 20-22 and 24-26, each night at 7:00 p.m in the backyard of the Bogle home at 11350 Dallas Lane in Dayton. Be sure to bring a chair or blanket for seating and mosquito repellent. Admission is free, but donations for the production or for CROSS food shelf are gratefully accepted. Arrive early for parking and seating. More information is available at www.buncebackyard.com.
The CROSS Community Players will be performing Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair. A fun musical for all ages, State Fair tells the story of the Frake family as they leave behind the routine of the farm for three days of excitement at the Iowa State Fair. Performances will be held July 27, 28, and 29 at 7:30 p.m; July 29 at 2:00 p.m. and July 30 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are priced from $14-$18 and can be purchased the day of the show, or online at crossplayers.org.
National Night Out
National Night Out is Tuesday, August 1, and a great opportunity to visit with neighbors and the local law enforcement who help keep our communities safe. You can register your neighborhood in Maple Grove for a National Night Out event here. Maple Grove came in second place nationally last year—let’s see if we can top that for 2017!
Peppin’s MinnTriv
Thank you to everyone who participated in the last Peppin’s MinnTriv Question. The question was: Name Minnesota’s only National Park. The answer was Voyageurs National Park.
Congratulations to Gregg Heikkinen for having the first correct response!
Here is this week’s question: Name the place that is the basis for Deep Valley, the town in the Betsy-Tacy stories by Minnesota author Maud Hart Lovelace.
Respond with the correct answer to this question and you could be featured in the next e-mail update!
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In order to best represent our communities, I need to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time. My direct line is 651-296-7806. My email address is rep.joyce.peppin@house.mn and my mailing address is Room 459 State Office Building, 100 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55155.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Joyce
**Encourage your neighbors and friends to sign up for my email updates at www.house.mn/34A