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Capitol Update from Rep. Dan Fabian and Town Halls Scheduled

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Dear Neighbors,

The 2018 legislative session came to an end of Sunday night, and House Republicans worked diligently to build off of last year’s numerous accomplishments like significant tax relief, substantial investments in education and transportation, and meaningful reforms to lower health care costs and increase choice.

At the end of session, the Legislature sent a compromise tax conformity and education funding bill, a bonding bill, a supplemental bill, and a pension bill to the governor's desk for consideration. Unfortunately, instead of working for the people of Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton vetoed the supplemental budget bill (SF3656) and the tax conformity/school funding bill (HF947) Wednesday, blocking the first income tax cut in nearly two decades, funding to help deputy registrars hurt by the MNLARS mess, funding to help avert a 7 percent cut for disability services, school safety funding, reforms to address vulnerable adult maltreatment and abuse, and more. In the final week of the legislative session, lawmakers addressed nearly 70 percent of the specific concerns outlined by the governor, and provided up to $84 million in new funding for schools ($225 million in total when flexibility measures are added), meeting the governor more than halfway on his key priorities and concerns.

Highlights of just some of the folks hurt by his vetoes include:

  • Victims of elder abuse
  • Victims of opioid addiction, and medical professionals
  • Victims of distracted driving
  • Special education and Head Start students
  • People dealing with MNLARS hassles
  • Deputy registrars whose businesses are floundering after MNLARS
  • People who need mental health support, particularly farmers and students
  • Farmers and agribusinesses that need Section 179 conformity for equipment depreciation
  • People who live in rural areas without high-speed internet
  • Students who need help to afford college
  • People who need job training and businesses that need skilled workers
  • K-12 students who won’t benefit from school safety funding
  • Taxpayers who will have a difficult time filing their taxes next year
  • Voters concerned about election security
  • Minnesotans concerned about privacy, data breaches, and cyber security
  • CPAs and tax professionals who will be dealing with very complex tax filings
  • Low-income working families who rely on federal child care subsidies
  • New teachers who need licenses, and schools who want to hire them
  • Schools that need adjustments to fully fund special education
  • Patients who care about transparent pricing for health care and prescription drugs
  • People with disabilities, and their caretakers, who would be affected by a 7 percent cut to the Disability Waiver Rate System

Politics before people. That’s what Governor Dayton did by vetoing these bills which delivered on critical needs for Minnesotans like school safety, additional funding for our schools, critical tax relief for hardworking taxpayers, Section 179 conformity for farmers and agribusiness, help for our deputy registrars, and much more. With a stroke of the veto pen, Minnesotans across our state were negatively impacted.

I am hopeful, however, that he will still act favorably on the bonding bill we sent to his desk which includes funding for flood mitigation in Thief River Falls and funding for the North Country Food Bank which serves families in need throughout NW MN.

Town Halls

Next week, I will be co-hosting four town hall meetings with Senator Mark Johnson and Rep. Deb Kiel. We will be discussing the 2018 legislative session, and the great things we passed for folks in NW MN.

Hope to see you there!

Thief River Falls Town Hall
Who: Rep. Fabian, Rep. Kiel and Sen. Johnson
When: Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Time: 10:30-11:30 am
Location: City Hall Council Chambers, 405 Third Street East, Thief River Falls, MN

Warren Town Hall
Who: Rep. Fabian, Rep. Kiel and Sen. Johnson
When: Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Time: 1:00-2:00 pm
Location: Community Center, 110 W. Johnson Avenue, Warren, MN

Roseau Town Hall
Who: Rep. Fabian and Sen. Johnson
When: Thursday, May 31, 2018
Time: 10:00-11:30 am
Location: Roseau City Center City Council Chambers, Suite 201, 121 Center St. E., Roseau, MN

Hallock Town Hall
Who: Rep. Fabian and Sen. Johnson
When: Thursday, May 31, 2018
Time: 1:00-2:00 pm
Location: Hallock Senior Center, Main Dining Room, 210 2nd St. SW., Hallock, MN

At the Capitol

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The Greenbush Middle River Class of 2024 at the Capitol!

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Sixth graders from Franklin Middle School in Thief River Falls came down to St. Paul

Follow me on Facebook!

To stay up-to-date on what’s happening at your State Capitol, feel free to “like” my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RepDanFabian.

*****

My door is always open to the needs and priorities of our area. Please feel free to let me know if I can be of assistance to you and your family. I am here to serve you!

Dan

**Encourage your neighbors and friends to sign up for my email updates at www.house.mn/01A