The 2015 Legislative Session has begun, and it is truly an honor to be your state representative. On January 6, all 134 Minnesota House representatives were sworn into office, and we are now ready to work on the people’s business.
This session, a good portion of my time will be spent figuring out ways to lower your personal property tax burden. As the new chairman of the Minnesota House Property Tax and Local Government Finance Committee, I will oversee statewide property tax policy and Local Government Aid distribution to cities and counties and am looking forward to the challenge.
Over the past few months, I’ve heard countless horror stories from Minnesotans regarding their escalating property tax rates. In many cases, particularly with farmers, the property owners are projected to receive double-digit property tax increases. This contradicts promises from the previous legislature that personal property tax rates would be going down this year.
As property tax chairman, I am committed to finding new solutions to this ongoing problem. Clearly, past legislative actions have not worked, and in the next few weeks I will be seeking the public’s input on this topic and for any potential solutions they may have.
In addition to the property tax committee, I will also serve on the Transportation Policy and Finance, Taxes, and Ways and Means committees for the next two years.
Speaking of legislation, I am once again offering the chance for my constituents to keep track of the capitol happenings in St. Paul by offering email updates. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, please visit my House website at www.house.mn/21B and click on “Email Updates” to sign up.
These messages will keep you updated on legislative events during the session, and you can remove your name from the list anytime by responding to an address on the end of the message. If you were signed up for this service last year, you do not need to sign up again. If not, I hope you will take a moment to join.
Once again, thank you for the opportunity to serve as your state representative. Feel free to contact me at any time at rep.steve.drazkowski@house.mn or at 651-296-2273 if you have legislative questions, comments, or concerns.