Dear Neighbors,
Here is an update from the Capitol.
Tax Conformity
While Governor Dayton wants to raise $1.4 billion in taxes on hardworking folks across our state, House Republicans are working on a tax conformity plan that aims to simplify and reduce taxes for Minnesotans. With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress recently, conformity is far more complicated than in previous years, but we want to get this done—both to ensure that hardworking taxpayers can take full advantage of meaningful tax relief, and also to prevent unnecessary complications for tax filers next year.
More than 2.1 million Minnesota filers will benefit from a tax cut in 2018 under our proposal, and we are advancing what would be the first income tax rate reduction in nearly two decades.
Highlights in our plan include:
- Helping middle-class Minnesotans keep more of what they earn by cutting the second tier income tax rate from 7.05% to 6.75% by tax year 2020. This would mark the first income tax rate reduction in Minnesota since 2000.
- Lowering taxes for people at all income levels by increasing the standard deduction from $13,000 to $14,000.
- Protecting families by preserving a state personal and dependent exemption of $4,150.
- Encouraging affordable homeownership by allowing a state-itemized deduction of up to $30,000 in property taxes.
- Supporting hometown businesses and farmers by reinvesting extra revenue from corporate tax changes into Section 179 conformity and overall rate reductions.
School Safety Package Passes House
With school and student safety a top priority this session, House Republicans included our school safety package in a bipartisan education bill that passed the House on Thursday. The bill champions a multifaceted approach to student safety that includes expanding the use of long-term facilities maintenance revenue for facility security upgrades, strengthening the state’s commitment to school-linked mental health grants, supporting suicide prevention training for teachers, increasing funding for Safe Schools Revenue, and more. This plan provides our school districts with needed resources and flexibility to make the changes that work best for them, and it also provides a floor level of funding for small schools.
Other highlights in the bill include strengthening and clarifying law around teacher misconduct, doubling audits of school funding to increase financial transparency and ensuring dollars are being properly allocated to reach the classroom, student loan debt counseling, and a new textbook affordability initiative.
Update on MPCA Rulemaking
I talked last week about the onerous sulfate wild rice rule that was being advanced by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and the Administrative Law Judge ruling against the MPCA on this matter.
Well there’s some good news on that front this week. The MPCA decided to abandon their efforts, withdrawing from the rulemaking process. They have stated they will turn to the Legislature for guidance on how to move forward.
This is a victory against the faulty rulemaking process done by the MPCA. At the Legislature, we have worked year after year to empower the MPCA to modify the outdated 10mg/L sulfate standard, which has done nothing to protect wild rice and would have added significant costs to municipalities and employers in Greater Minnesota.
Voter Registration Amendment
This week, I amended my Environment and Natural Resources supplemental bill in the Ways and Means Committee with a provision that would encourage more outdoorspeople to register to vote. The measure would allow the DNR to promote voter registration when folks are purchasing a hunting or fishing license online by providing a link to the Secretary of State’s website. They'll also provide information on eligibility and voter registration materials, developed in conjunction with the Secretary of State, in rules and regulations books and at point of sale retail locations.
It would, as always, be completely optional whether or not someone wanted to register to vote, but this would provide an additional opportunity to do that while Minnesotans are purchasing a license.
At the Capitol
The Lancaster Class of 2024 stopped by the Capitol this week.
Monday's House Chaplain, Captain Michael Golay, stationed with the 319th Airbase Wing in Grand Forks, ND.
With Dennis Udovich and Allen Lundeen
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Dan
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