Friends,
Spring is here! I hope you were able to get out this past weekend and enjoy the gorgeous weather — what a difference a week makes!
Tax Conformity - Simplifying and Providing Relief
One of the most important things we have to do this session is to pass a tax conformity plan to make sure Minnesota's tax plan conforms to the major changes passed by Congress in 2017. Our goal in the House is to hold as many Minnesotans as possible harmless, provide meaningful tax relief to taxpayers and simplify our tax code so people can take full advantage of state and federal tax relief.
Highlights of our plan include cutting the second-tier income tax rate from 7.05 percent to 6.75 percent by 2020, letting middle-class Minnesotans keep more of their hard-earned money. We also lower taxes for people of all income levels by increasing the standard deduction from $13,000 to $14,000. Third, we help families by protecting state personal and dependent exemptions of $4,150. To encourage affordable home ownership, our plan allows state-itemized deductions of up to $30,000 in property taxes. Finally, we support our hometown businesses by reinvesting extra revenue from corporate tax changes into Section 179 conformity and overall rate reductions.
Rep. Barr, IGH Fire Chief Judy Thill, and IGH Mayor George Tourville testifying in support of Rep. Barr's bill to bring another fire station to Inver Grove Heights
Minnesota Leading Fight Against Sexual Harassment
On Monday, Majority Leader Joyce Peppin introduced bipartisan legislation (HF4459) signed by myself and 34 other House co-authors—the maximum for any bill—that would make Minnesota the first state in the nation to nullify the existing "severe or pervasive" standard that sexual harassment cases must meet in order to be actionable in court. The bill came in response to feedback from employment law attorneys and other experts who testified before the subcommittee that this standard was a barrier to many severe sexual harassment cases moving forward in court.
The bill makes no changes to the existing state laws for what constitutes sexual harassment, but simply states that "an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment...does not require the harassing conduct or communication to be severe or pervasive." This simple but substantive change would give judges more discretion to proceed with sexual harassment cases that previously may not have met the incredibly high standard set by the Supreme Court in 1986.
In addition to the proposed legislation, the subcommittee reviewed proposed changes to the House Discrimination and Harassment Policy, as well as a House Resolution that would allow the subcommittee's work to continue during the interim in the form of a Task Force. Proposed changes to the House Discrimination and Harassment policy include empowering non-partisan staff to independently hire an outside investigator to investigate complaints, requiring that investigation results be submitted confidentially to the minority leader and Speaker of the House, and strengthening expectations for reporting and retaliation.
We want the Minnesota House to be a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for legislators, staff, media, lobbyists, and members of the public. These policies send a clear message that discrimination and harassment won't be tolerated in the Minnesota House, and shouldn't be tolerated anywhere in our state. These changes are a major step in the right direction and I am proud of just how decisively the House has acted on this serious issue.
Repaying Deputy Registrars
Last Thursday, the House almost unanimously passed a bill to provide $9 million of aid to deputy registrars to help offset the numerous costs incurred following the rollout of the state’s vehicle licensing system, MNLARS. Through no fault of their own, deputy registrars across the state were having to deal with MNLARS causing delays, slow processing times, and a need to staff for overtime work.
I’m glad members of both parties voted to pass this legislation to help ease some of the pain experienced by our hardworking registrars and I look forward to the Senate taking action soon.
Rep. Barr met with Caroline, Megan, and Tracy to discuss early childhood education
In Case You Missed It: Tour around 52B!
Late last summer, we put together a video that highlights some of the great and beautiful parts of District 52B, which encompasses Inver Grove Heights, Sunfish Lake, parts of Mendota Heights and Eagan. I think it turned out very well and am proud to represent such a fantastic place to live. Check out the video here!
On this day in History
In 1800, the Library of Congress was established by President John Adams. The books were ordered from London and arrived in 1801. They were stored in the U.S. Capitol, the library’s first home.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with me. You can schedule a time to meet with me in my office anytime by calling me at 651-296-4192, or share your thoughts by emailing me at rep.regina.barr@house.mn.
Have a great week!
Regina