Hello from St. Paul,
On Thursday, the Minnesota House approved legislation that conforms state tax rates to that of the federal government and gives hardworking Minnesotans some needed tax relief.
Some of the provisions include deductions for higher education expenses, teacher reimbursement expenses, and a provision that prevents housing debt relief from being recognized as income and therefore taxed.
This was an important bill that needed to be passed quickly because people will begin filing their income taxes shortly. If we don’t approve the bill soon, we run the risk of forcing early filers to complete an amended tax return in the months ahead.
The bill was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support, and will hopefully be signed into law in the coming days.
I also wanted to remind you about the upcoming town meetings I will be holding with Senator Sieben. The first will take place on Saturday, January 24 in Hastings from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the Hastings City Hall. The second gathering will take place in Cottage Grove on Wednesday, January 28 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Cottage Grove City Hall. We will be joined at this event by Representative Dan Schoen as well. Please come out and share your opinions.
I also plan to mail out a session survey again this year, which I strongly encourage residents to complete. The survey allows me to gather feedback on issues that are likely to be debated at the State Capitol this year, so watch for it in your mailbox in the coming weeks.
Keep in touch,
Denny