Dear neighbor,
We have reached our first policy deadline—meaning bills can no longer move forward unless they have been properly vetted through the committee process. This means that legislators and staff have spent many late nights in committee hearings, many meeting at the same time to meet the deadline.
Please check out the following link to view my latest video update:
http://youtu.be/Hrxta2DYrTU
Governor Dayton released updated budget proposals this week, dropping his business-to-business tax and expanded sales tax plans. I support the Governor’s decision to drop the business-to –business tax and heard from many local businesses about concerns with this proposal. The sales tax on clothing and new services also raised a lot of questions for St. Cloud residents and businesses and I am glad to see it is no longer on the table. As we look at ways to end the cycle of deficit spending that has plagued our state for the last decade, we must also make sure that we are putting middle-class families first and keeping our state economically strong and competitive.
The new budget also includes an additional $1.6 million in Local Government Aid for the City of St. Cloud. Local Government Aid has been cut drastically in recent years and this funding will help St. Cloud to be competitive. Cities like St. Cloud rely on this funding to provide efficient city services at a reduced cost to tax payers.
The House and Senate will be assembling their respective budget targets and proposals in the coming days and weeks. As we do this work, I will be paying special attention to policies that improve job growth, strengthen K-12 and higher education, invest in transportation and infrastructure and move our state forward by growing the middle-class.
Please contact me with your questions, concerns and comments as we move forward with the legislative session. Your input will help me to better represent St. Cloud. I can be reached by phone at (651) 296-6612 or by email at rep.zachary.dorholt@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Zach Dorholt
State Representative