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Rep. Sheldon Johnson - E-Update - August 1, 2013

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Friends,

Minnesotans learned this week they will see a $109 million property tax decrease in 2014, according to non-partisan House Research.

In total, property taxes in 2014 are projected to decrease by $63 million on existing properties from 2013 levels, thanks to the new DFL Budget, which invested $130 million in Local Government Aid to counties, cities and townships, and included reforms, such as exempting local governments from paying sales taxes and levy limits.

We'll also receive $135 million in direct property tax relief from programs like the new Homestead Credit Refund and expanded Renter’s Credit. So, in fact, the DFL budget will reduce property taxes even further than this report indicates.

New laws on the books

In my last e-update, I filled you in on some new laws that took effect on July 1st. A new batch of laws went into effect on August 1st. Here is a breakdown of some of those laws. You can see the full list of new laws by visiting the House Public Information website.

  • A new state law will allow employees at most companies to take paid sick days to care for adult children, spouses, parents, grandparents and stepparents.
  • The county in which a victim resides will become an eligible venue for cases when a vulnerable adult is financially exploited. The law will also allow such offenses to be aggregated over a six-month period. Supporters said the aggregation is needed to demonstrate the extent of the crime because financial exploitation generally occurs over time, such as misuse of a vulnerable adult’s financial transaction card.
  • Minnesota law requires an advanced life-support ambulance to be staffed by at least one emergency medical technician and one paramedic. A new certification, advanced emergency medical technicians, is created and those meeting the qualification will be able to serve as advanced life-support ambulance staff.
  • Critically ill people will be allowed, once in a lifetime, to purchase hunting licenses otherwise limited by a lottery drawing under a provision of the omnibus game and fish law. The law will allow veterans with 100 percent permanently disabled status to receive a permanent card allowing them to more easily obtain a hunting license, for deer or small game, free of charge.
  • Service animals help people with disabilities navigate through their day-to-day activities. Under current law, it is an unfair discriminatory practice to prohibit these animals from being in a public place. A new law will amend state statute regarding these animals and bring the state in line with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The law also deletes a provision that requires service animals to be properly identified as being trained.
  • A new law provides that a person under age 21 who consumes or possesses an alcoholic beverage will not be subject to prosecution “if the person contacts a 911 operator to report that the person or another person is in need of medical assistance.”
  • The list of acts that constitutes criminal conduct related to emergency telephone calls will expand. A new law will make it a misdemeanor if someone places a fake 911 call.

Stay in touch

Please feel free to contact me with your questions, suggestions and concerns. My office is room 549 in the State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4201 and by email at rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn. You can also monitor activities at the House, track bills, watch live video and sign up for my email update list by going to http://www.house.mn.

Have a great week,

Sheldon