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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Dennis Smith (R)

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Session Begins Next Week

Friday, February 16, 2018

Friends, 


High school winter sports are entering the playoff season. Make sure to get out and support our boys and girls teams as they make their way to state! 

Also, the 2018 Session gets underway next Tuesday so stay tuned for more information on what's going on at the Capitol.

 

I-94 Corridor Coalition 

This week I attended the "I-94 Corridor Coalition" pre-session event. The I-94 West Corridor comprises businesses, individuals, and government agencies committed to improving I-94 and its support facilities. The mission of the Coalition is to provide a strong, united voice to advocate for and address transportation concerns along the I-94 corridor, from Maple Grove to St. Cloud. As these communities grow, it requires foresight and planning to ensure that transportation needs are not forgotten.

Traffic congestion was the topic of the day and the obvious need to add more lanes along the interstate. The growing population of our community simply demands an increased capacity along our key roadways. I am proud to stand with this group and will be pushing for funding to add lanes to improve the current congestion. 

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Rep, Smith Speaking at the I-94 Corridor Coalition Event

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Rep. Smith and other legislators at the I-94 Corridor Coalition Event


Maple Grove Establishes Tax District for Gravel Mining Area

As part of the historic tax relief we delivered for Minnesotans during the 2017 session, a bill I chief authored to allow the City of Maple Grove the flexibility to establish a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) zone was included. This month the Maple Grove City Council decided to take advantage of this opportunity to spur economic development and created a TIF district in the Gravel Mining Area. You can read more on that here. The bottom line is that this is more great economic news for our area!

 

Session Preview on Channel 12 News

Earlier this month, I taped an interview with CCX, Channel 12 News, about my priorities for the upcoming session. Specifically, I talk about the importance of finishing the 610 interchange and making updates to our 911 system. Watch the full segment here.

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Rep. Smith on CCX Ch. 12 News

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