Dear neighbor,
It’s tournament time for girls high school basketball and congratulations to Henning (28-2) and Pelican Rapids (29-0) for advancing to state competition this week. Visit www.mshsl.org for schedules and results, and you can click here for live streaming of select games.
As for news from the Capitol, this week House Republicans held a press conference calling for significant tax cuts for Minnesota families using the state’s $1.5 billion budget surplus.
The need is there and the means are there, so there’s no reason to delay providing tax relief this year. In fact, Minnesotans should accept nothing less than major tax relief this session. It will be interesting to see if House Democrats and the governor follow our lead on tax relief or if they look to use the surplus for more government spending.
The proposal we have unveiled would deliver the relief Minnesotans deserve, starting with senior citizens. It is time to end our state’s immoral tax on social security income and House Republicans are committed to that project this session. The package we put forward Monday benefits everyone from seniors to farmers, homeowners, Main Street businesses, college graduates with student loan debt, families with kids in childcare and beyond. This includes:
Coronavirus funding
Earlier this week, the legislature voted unanimously in the House and Senate to approve emergency funding for the Department of Health to continue their response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The bill included protections for taxpayers that would require money to be paid back to the general fund if it goes unspent.
The legislature is considering additional steps to ensure our state and health care system can respond as quickly and effectively as possible — Minnesotans should have confidence that legislators, the governor, and state agencies are working closely based on the expert recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
As this situation unfolds, social media could be rife with misinformation so please continue to rely only on information from trusted sources. Your best sources for up-to-date information are the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) websites.
MDH: Prepare and Prevent COVID-19
MDH: Situation Update for COVID-19
Fishing opener
On a final note, the approach of spring has many people thinking about fishing, especially with the 73rd Annual Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener festivities set to take place right here in Otter Tail County May 7-10. Local preparations continue and I look forward to this event being a great success. Click here for more information regarding what’s on tap.
Sincerely,
Bud