Friends,
This Friday August 11th to Sunday August 13th is the Minnesota State Capitol Grand Opening Celebration. The event is a celebration of the completion of a four year restoration and renovation of Minnesota’s historic State Capitol building. First built in 1905, our Capitol was in need of significant repair and restoration. Over the last few years the "People's House" underwent a $310 million restoration, with the finishing touches happening this summer. Everyone is invited and I hope you are able to make it to St. Paul for this wonderful celebration!
Events over the weekend include a ribbon cutting, tours, hotdish panels, live performances, a kid zone, fireworks, an ice cream social, a craft beer garden, and much more. Full information on the schedule, ticketed events, transportation, and Capitol renovations can be found at mn.gov/admin/capitol-grand-opening. Hope to see you there!
Rep. Smith attending the Capitol Grand Opening Ceremonies on Friday
Helping Small Businesses
This week I visited Ed's Collision in Maple Grove. It was great to talk with a successful small business who has been able to benefit from our efforts over the last few years to make Minnesota a more business friendly state. Some of these reforms include my bill from 2015 to cut taxes for these small businesses by $256 million and this session's business property tax relief that will be extremely helpful to every business owner in Minnesota.
Rep. Smith visited Ed's Collision in Maple Grove
Maple Grove City Council Meeting
This week I presented the Maple Grove City Council with a legislative summary of the 2017 Legislative Session. It's always a great opportunity to speak with local officials and interested constituents. Earlier this summer, I was honored to be named a Lawmaker of Distinction by the League of Minnesota Cities for my work during the 2017 Legislative Session. I am honored to serve the people of Maple Grove and Osseo and will continue to work to make our cities a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
3,000,000 Served
In late July, the Maple Grove Yardwaste Site served it’s 3 millionth resident. The site opened April 1, 1990 and has provided recycling services to Maple Grove the surrounding communities. It recycles leaves, grass, brush, dirt, and sod and is free for residents of Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Cener, Crystal, New Hope, Champlin, Dayton and Rogers. Especially busy during the fall season, the site can see up to 3,000 residents on peak days. For hours and other information, visit their website here.
Please continue to share your thoughts with me about our state government; bill ideas and concerns are welcomed! I am honored to serve you at the Capitol. My email address is Rep.Dennis.Smith@house.mn, phone number 651-296-5502, and by mail: 375 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Have a great weekend!
Dennis