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

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First Week of Session

Friday, February 23, 2018

Friends, 


The 2018 Session began on Tuesday and we got right to work by restoring the funding that Governor Dayton cut after agreeing to budget bills last session. This fight dragged on for too long and now Governor Dayton has publicly agreed to sign the bills funding legislative operations passed by the House and Senate on Thursday. The legislature represents your voice at the Capitol and I am pleased we can put this unfortunate issue behind us and get this session off to a great start.  

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Rep. Smith with two constituents in front of the Capitol Rotunda
 

MNLARS Update

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety rolled out their new computer system, MNLARS, in 2017. Immediately there were major problems as thousands of Minnesotans couldn't renew tabs and other basic functions of government. 

When the MNLARS system was failing, the Dayton administration insisted for weeks that problems were being overblown and things would be quickly corrected. However, the Department of Public Safety is now asking for an additional $43 million on top of almost $100 million already spent over the past 10 years to begin to fix this problem. Since then, there have been new reports indicating the Dayton Administration knew there were major issues long before launch. 

This is an unrealistic request and Minnesota taxpayers should not be saddled with the bill to clean up the mess. During this upcoming session, we must determine who is responsible and make sure they are held accountable so nothing like this happens again. If you have had or encounter a problem with the MNLARS system, such as difficulty renewing your vehicle tabs, please use this form to let us know what is going on. We are working with DPS to resolve issues and help fix the system.

As a reminder, the implementation of REAL ID is a key project of DPS this year and that has been a real concern in the wake of this MNLARS mess. That implementation has been outsourced to a company with a proven track record of success so, hopefully, it will continue to proceed without major issues. 

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Rep. Smith meets with two constituents in his office
 

Two Bills in Committee

During this first week of this session, I presented two of my bills in the House Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee. HF 2764 will modernize our business organization laws, making them more in line with that of Delaware where many businesses are incorporated. This will help to make Minnesota a more attractive place for companies to form and expand into. HF 2743 will adjust the statute of limitations on construction defects to be more consumer and builder-friendly to the detriment of trial lawyers. Both of these are important bills that I look forward to guiding through the legislature this year. 
 

High School Sports Update

Osseo and Maple Grove played in a close, tight basketball game on Tuesday with the Crimson boys squeaking out a 61-54 win. The schools also met in the Section 5AA quarterfinals in boys hockey with Maple Grove besting Osseo, 4-0. Good luck to Maple Grove as they head on to the semifinals against Blaine! 
 

Minnesotans Leading the Way at Olympics

Congrats to the US Women's hockey team that was chalk full of Minnesotans! From hockey to skiing to curling, Minnesotans have been making their mark on the Winter Olympics. 

In fact, Minnesota has such a large presence that this headline and story was written by the New York Times: Team U.S.A.? More Like Team Minnesota.


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 economic development for our area!

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Rep. Smith meets with a constituent outside his office 

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. If you are going to be at or around the Capitol, please stop by or schedule a meeting. 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