Dear Friends,
With spring finally here and winter finally behind us, I wanted to update you on some of the positive things happening at the Capitol. Amidst the spending spree, ObamaCare troubles, and other radical policies Democrats have brought to Minnesota over the past two years, there is still good work being done for the people of Minnesota.
Annexation Bill
This week the House passed a bill that has been presented to the Governor that protects townships from unfriendly annexation attempts. This bill was a bipartisan effort supported by the Minnesota Association of Townships, and will go a long way to preventing annexations and the disputes that come with them. I was proud to be a co-author on this bill and hope the Governor will sign it in the coming days.
Rail Safety
One of the issues I've been focusing on this session is rail and pipeline safety. Too many of our cities and towns across Minnesota are simply not prepared for an event like we've seen in North Dakota and other places around the country where oil tankers explode or spill, causing millions in damage and cleanup costs. That's why I've co-authored a bill to establish a grant program to ensure cities and towns are prepared for such a disaster, and can respond appropriately in a way that protects the safety of citizens.
Pipelines and rail lines run through hundreds of towns throughout our state, and we need to make sure local authorities are trained and know what to do if a disaster hits and a tanker or pipeline accident occurs.
Second tax cut bill on the way
Earlier this session, the legislature passed a tax correction bill that repealed the three business-to-business taxes passed by Democrats in 2013. Thanks to a budget surplus, the House passed a second tax cut bill last month aimed at property tax relief, particularly for folks in Greater Minnesota on agriculture properties who have seen their property taxes skyrocket in recent years.
The second tax cut bill remains in conference committee, where the House and Senate must work out differences between the two versions of the bill.
We have just ten days remaining in the 2014 legislative session. If you have any questions about these, or any other bills as we finish up our work, please don't hesitate to contact me at
rep.jim.newberger@house.mn or
651-296-2451.
Have a great weekend. God bless,
Jim