Dear Neighbors,
It looks like another great Minnesota spring weekend in store. It’s been quite a week in St. Paul, and I’m excited to share the progress we’re making with you.
Foster Care Legislation Passes
There are times when being a legislator can bring one to tears. This week was one of those times. On Wednesday, I was honored and humbled to see the House pass my Foster Sibling Bill of Rights provision as part of more expansive legislation related to foster care. The bill, HF3265, passed on a unanimous vote of 120-0.
The Foster Sibling Bill of Rights would create guidelines to help keep foster youth connected with their siblings who are in the care of different foster parents. It does so by promoting close connections for foster siblings (when it is in the best interest of each sibling), including visits, phone calls, and taking part in important celebrations like birthdays.
I was fortunate to have the support of Sasha Martin and Breanna Buckhalton - two incredible young women with experience growing up in foster care - who helped create this provision. In the photos below, you can see Sasha getting a hug from Breanna as she is overcome with emotion after the House passed the bill. Carrying legislation like this - and seeing the impact it has on precious young people like Sasha and Breanna - is by far the best part of this job to me, and always will be!
A heartfelt thank you to Sasha and Breanna for sharing their stories, and helping pass this important provision in the House.
Two Local Projects Included in the Bonding Bill
This morning, I joined my colleagues on the Capital Investment Committee to discuss our bonding bill proposal for this year. Our bill totals $825 million of bonding that’s focused on infrastructure, the preservation of state-owned buildings, and water and conservation initiatives, along with $25 million for school safety grants. The bill passed in our committee and will head to the House floor for a vote.
With three to four times the number of bonding requests from all throughout the state than could actually be included, it was a very challenging task for our committee to whittle the list down to a manageable number. I was especially grateful to see funding for some of our local projects make it into the bill. One of these is the funding for Riverland Community College. Our bonding legislation allocates over $10 million to Riverland to improve facilities and move auto service and diesel programs to Albert Lea from the Austin campus, allowing for better integration of those programs and use of educational equipment. I see this project as very important for our area — not only for our local students, but also for our economy to help fill critical job shortage needs for our local businesses.
A second project from our area also made it into the House bonding bill. The final funding needed for the Stables' sewer and water project has been included. This year's funding appropriates the drinking water portion of the Stables project, while the wastewater portion of the project was covered in last year's bonding bill. This is a project that is “shovel-ready” which means, if our bill is signed into law, construction can start right away. That's great news for the Stables area!
Unfortunately, neither the Blazing Star Trail nor the Blazing Star Landing have been included in the bonding bill at this point. I am especially saddened that our local trail was not included, as I know how important that is to so many people in our area. Things can always change before final passage, and I will continue advocating for all of our local projects during these last weeks of session.
Tax Conformity
Coming into this session, we knew one of our biggest tasks would be conforming to the new federal tax code. Late last year, Congress passed a tax relief proposal, which is great news for taxpayers, but those changes will greatly complicate tax filing for Minnesotans next year if we don’t make some changes on this end.
On Monday, the House passed our tax plan on a wide bipartisan vote of 90-38. When looking at our bill, it’s easy to see why many members from both sides of the aisle voted for it. Our legislation helps middle-class Minnesotans keep more of what they earn. We cut the second tier income rate, the first such reduction in 18 years. We also lower taxes on people of every income level by increasing the standard deduction for all filers. In total, 2.1 million Minnesotans will see a tax cut thanks to our plan.
Part of the tax bill contains my provision to incentivize health care facilities that locate in medically underserved areas in rural Minnesota. Access to health care in rural Minnesota is a huge issue. This can help encourage more health care providers, such as birthing centers, hospitals, and clinics, to locate in rural areas. The passage of this provision can help bring more health care options to areas like Albert Lea, Blooming Prairie, and more who’ve seen a reduction in service.
Please Contact Me
As always, please continue to reach out by phone or email if you need anything. We’re finishing the legislative session in about two weeks, and I hope to hear from you as we discuss the issues facing our state.
Enjoy your weekend,
Peggy