Dear Neighbor,
I know, I know. Thanksgiving isn’t until next week, but I’m also aware many take vacation some or all of the week of Thanksgiving so I wanted to ensure to extend my well-wishes to you, your family, and your loved ones to have a blessed Thanksgiving if you are one of those leaving town in advance of the holiday.
An examination of history demonstrates our Republic, the Great American Experiment, is an aberration among nations. Our Republic is a unique experiment in human government having resulted in advancing the cause of individual liberty, raising standards of living, fostering innovation, and furthering prosperity more than any other in all of human history. We remember this Thanksgiving how blessed beyond imagination we are to live during this era in history and to enjoy the fruits of our great country!
Rep. Lucero with friend and colleague Rep. Jim Newberger this week
at a Center of the American Experiment event.
SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court yesterday declined to rule if Gov. Dayton’s veto of legislative funding was unconstitutionally coercive, instead concluding the Legislature had sufficient funding to continue operations until at least February 20, 2018, the beginning of the next legislative session. In order to continue operating in the face of Gov. Dayton's veto and the Supreme Court's conclusion, legislative members of the Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC) were forced to pull previously appropriated money for other purposes and reallocate into legislative operating funds.
The LCC's no-other-choice action to reallocate funds is not without consequence. Minnesotans will now lose critical services provided by the House and Senate...consequences directly attributed to Gov. Dayton. Example consequences include the House and Senate will not be able to draft legislation to help Minnesotans, provide transparency and closed captioning for the public, complete necessary audits to eliminate fraud and abuse, sustain various citizen-councils, etc.
Despite Gov. Dayton actions resulting in negative consequences to hard working Minnesotans, you know you can continue to count on me to stand up for you and all Minnesotans in order to protect your voice in the Legislature.
Rep. Lucero last weekend speaking with constituents at a luncheon in Hanover.
SUPER BOWL
AT&T announced this week it is bringing 5G wireless cellular technology to Minneapolis in time for the Super Bowl, increasing bandwidth in the area up to 100 times faster than the current 4G wireless technology. The 5G launch will provide customers in the area greater connectivity on their devices along with upgraded network capabilities.
Earlier this year we debated legislation on the House Floor related to 5G. A link to the video of my May 22 remarks on the House Floor regarding early adoption of 5G infrastructure and the positive downstream impacts to high paying jobs and academic institutions that will result in Minnesota can be found here.
REDUCED TAX REVENUE COLLECTION FOR CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS
City Pages recently reported in an article found here that the City of Minneapolis is set to get less than they bargained for working with Hennepin County in their continued pursuit of funding to build Southwest Light Rail. I’ve provided a summarized breakdown of the issue below:
- The City of Minneapolis has a lodging tax and collects millions from it
- The Super Bowl February next year will attract a flood of people into Minneapolis who will lodge in hotels and pay the lodging tax
- Under normal circumstances the one-time Super Bowl event would cause a spike in lodging tax revenue collected by Minneapolis
- But, State law caps Minneapolis' cumulative state and local sales, entertainment, and lodging taxes at 13 percent
- Earlier this year Hennepin County imposed a new 0.5 percent sales tax increase to in-part build Southwest Light Rail
- Hennepin County's newly imposed half-cent sales tax increase forced Minneapolis to reduce their lodging tax by an equal half-cent amount (from 2.625 percent to 2.125 percent)
- The lodging tax has a maximum rate of 3.0 percent and Minneapolis was already once previously in 2009 forced to reduce their lodging tax from 3.000 percent to 2.625 percent after voters approved the 0.375 percent Legacy Amendment tax increase
- Minneapolis is projecting nearly $2 million per year reduced revenue due to their forced decrease of the lodging tax (revenue they otherwise would have collected)
- The MN Legislature could raise Minneapolis’ current 13 percent cumulative tax cap so Minneapolis does not lose the tax revenue from the one-time spike in people attending the Super Bowl
- The Super Bowl is February 4, 2018
- The MN Legislature does not reconvene until February 20, 2018 (after the Super Bowl is already over)
- The only remedy for Minneapolis at this point is for Gov. Dayton to call a special session prior to the February 4 Super Bowl so the Legislature could raise the current 13 percent cap to help Minneapolis
- Gov. Dayton knows the Legislature is likely to take a knee rather than help the City of Minneapolis raise taxes due to an "oops" oversight by Hennepin County
STAYING IN TOUCH
As always please contact me to share any issues, concerns, or feedback you may have that will assist me best represent you. The best way to reach me is by email at Rep.Eric.Lucero@House.MN or by phone at 651-296-1534.
Sincerely,
Eric Lucero
State Representative
District 30B
Albertville, Hanover, Otsego, Saint Michael, and the Wright County portion of Dayton