Dear Friends,
The legislature is entering the final couple of weeks of session, and we will be working in conference committees to negotiate details of our final budget that will pass the House and Senate and be signed by the Governor.
I will try to keep you updated as best I can as bills come back from conference committee to be voted on in the House and Senate. It's sure to be an interesting two weeks as we come to an agreement and pass the 2016-2017 budget.
Tax Relief for Families
This week the House passed our omnibus Tax bill that provides significant tax relief to Minnesota families. I'm proud to have worked on provisions in this bill that will help families save for college and reduce student debt, help Mom & Pop shops, help 4-H kids raise money at fundraising events, and help veterans get jobs. Most importantly, this bill will help families keep more of their hard-earned money. Families, college students, veterans, seniors, and farmers all stand to see tax relief under this great proposal.
I am grateful that many of my provisions were included in the omnibus Tax bill:
HF 1479: This provision brings back tax incentives for families who are saving money for college through 529 plans in the form of either a refundable tax credit or a tax deduction. This tax incentive was eliminated several years ago during tougher budget times. The more people save for college, the less debt they will carry upon graduation, and I hope this can play a small part in helping families and students save for their education.
HF 482: This provision eliminates the automatic inflation of the state general levy, which will help provide tax relief to Mom & Pop shops across Minnesota.
HF 412: This provision extends the tax exemption for non-profit groups, such as 4-H, when they are fundraising at events. This allows them to use their profits to help more low-income kids be able to participate who wouldn't otherwise be able to.
HF 10: This provision is a version of the Veterans Hiring Tax credit that requires the Commissioner of Revenue to report information to the legislature on providing a tax credit for employers who hire military veterans and draft legislation for a tax credit that would take effect in tax year 2016. While the civilian and veteran unemployment rate have both fallen in the past year, the veteran unemployment rate remains higher than the civilian population. In addition, with operations ending in Iraq and Afghanistan, hundreds or thousands of additional veterans will be coming home, begin the process of transitioning back to civilian life, and will be looking to find new employment.
You can watch my speech on the House floor here: https://youtu.be/76BeLn-6aaU
In the Community
Blood Drive
Give the gift of life! Donate blood this Monday. Details:
Monday, May 4th from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m.
15000 Hayes Rd, Apple Valley, MN
Cedar Bridge Closing
MnDOT has announced final closure dates for the Cedar Avenue Bridge from Old Shakopee Road to Highway 13. The bridge will be closed southbound from June 5-15th, and northbound from June 19-30th.
Career Fair
There's a career fair coming up for job seekers with disabilities from 9AM-2PM on Thursday, May 7th at the Best Western Premier Nicollet Inn in Burnsville located at 14201 Nicollet Ave.
Making our Community Proud
Two Rosemount community members making headlines this week:
Rosemount police officer Alex Luck was named the Metro Rookie of the Year by Minnesota Mothers Against Drunk Drivers on April 13th. Read more about this story by clicking here.
Rosemount High School assistant principal Kim Budde earned national recognition as one of the nation's best assistant principals. Read more about her work and the award she received here.
As always, please send me your thoughts, input, and questions by email at rep.anna.wills@house.mn or call 651-296-4306. You can also follow my updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/repannawills or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/annacwills.
Have a great weekend!
Anna Wills
State Representative, District 57B