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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jon Applebaum (DFL)

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Legislative Update 3-12-15

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Dear Neighbor,

This session is moving quickly at the State Capitol.  I’d like to share another bill I’ve introduced to make college more affordable and other exciting news.

Refundable Student Loan Tax Credit

Student loan debt holds our economy back and is perhaps the greatest burden facing students, working families, and young professionals in Minnesota.  In fact, Minnesota ranks fourth in the country for the highest average amount of student debt carried by our young people.

To address this issue, I introduced HF 1716, which will provide significant tax relief for Minnesotans carrying student loan debt.  Whether it’s the student or a parent, a payee of a student loan would be eligible for a refundable tax credit up to $5,000 a year based on the total of principal and interest payments made on the student loan.

This bipartisan bill provides much needed relief for all Minnesota taxpayers carrying student loan debt, while encouraging those with such burdens to call Minnesota home and be a part of our tax base.  After introducing HF 820, this is the second major bill I’ve introduced to make Minnesota a national leader in post-high school affordability.  HF 820 will be heard on Wednesday, March 18th, in the Higher Education Committee at 2:45 PM.

Taxes Going Down for Minnesotans

We received some good news this week.  A report was released that shows that overall tax rates are decreasing for 9 in 10 Minnesotans.  The Minnesota Department of Revenue’s annual Tax Incidence Study shows that 90% of Minnesotans will be paying less in overall taxes, as a portion of income, than they did in 2012.

Plymouth Ice Center Renovations

I am proud to champion the City of Plymouth's $2.1 million request for funding to make a much-needed renovations to its Plymouth Ice Center ("PIC"). The renovation will replace and update worn facility equipment and amenities for the PIC. Further, The City of Plymouth will match more than dollar-for-dollar any state monies it receives.

I toured the PIC, and had separate meetings with the Plymouth mayor, other Plymouth City Council members, the Plymouth City Manager, and countless constituents about this issue. The PIC serves as home ice for the Wayzata Youth Hockey Association (second largest in the United States!), Wayzata High School boys and girls, Providence Academy hockey, and welcomes 500,000 visitors each year.

Rep. Lyndon Carlson is chief-authoring carrying the bill, H.F. 913, to provide the funding necessary for the PIC to be properly renovated, which can be found here.

As always, feel free to share your concerns with me as we work through the issues this legislative session.  You can reach me by phone at (651) 296-9934 or respond to this email with your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Jon Applebaum