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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Sandy Layman (R)

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News From Representative Layman 2-14-2020

Friday, February 14, 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Tuesday marked the beginning of the 2020 legislative session, and I have enjoyed connecting with my colleagues back at the Capitol this week. While the state’s two-year budget was put in place last year, there remains work to be done at the legislature in the months ahead. Tax relief and a bonding bill are two of the main things I am hoping we can accomplish this year.

Bonding Bill

In non-budget years, bonding bills often take center stage. A bonding bill is a public construction package to finance local projects around the state such as roads and bridges, sewer and water systems, and public buildings. I serve on the Capital Investment (bonding) Committee and had the opportunity this past year to visit every corner of the state learning more about the projects being considered for bonding dollars. During the committee’s tour, it became clear that there are communities around the state with significant funding needs. As legislators assemble this package, it’s important that we focus on the most important projects, such as local sewer and water systems, roads and bridges, higher education, and other state assets in need of preservation.

Specific to our area, I will be advocating for funding for a few key projects.

  • Deer River water and sewer system: Additional funding for critical improvements and expansion is necessary for Deer River to continue growing and developing as a community.
  • Grand Rapids IRA Civic Center: Includes funding for needed roof replacement and other improvements for health, safety, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.
  • Mississippi Riverfront Corridor in Cohasset: This project will make our area more attractive to private investment, would increase tourism revenue, and helps the regional economy.

Tax Relief

Our state’s budget surplus currently sits at $1.3 billion, meaning Minnesotans have been overtaxed. Given this surplus, I believe legislators should be looking at ways to lower taxes and reduce the tax burdens families face.

A great place to start would be the complete elimination of state taxes on seniors’ Social Security benefits. I’ve championed the progress we’ve made reducing these taxes in recent years and this year presents a great opportunity to do away with these burdensome taxes altogether.

Another important area that I’ve championed is the reduction of statewide commercial/industrial property taxes that businesses pay in addition to local property taxes. This is a crushing tax for small businesses, and I hope we can completely repeal this one as well.

In addition, there are a few pieces of tax-related legislation for our area that I am working on advancing this year:

City of Grand Rapids

The City is looking to ask residents if they want a sales tax increase in order to partially fund construction costs for the IRA Civic Center improvements. In order to put this question to voters, local governments must gain legislative approval, so I am authoring legislation to give the City the authority to let voters decide.

  • Grand Rapids fire station sales tax exemption: This bill would create a sales tax exemption for the materials, supplies, and equipment used by the City of Grand Rapids to build a new fire station.
  • IRA Civic Center sales tax exemption: This bill would create the same sales tax exemption for the City of Grand Rapids on building materials used to improve the IRA Civic Center.

Itasca County

Itasca County has been given notice by the Department of Corrections that they have until September 2021 to bring their jail into compliance with current standards. Over the past several months, the county has narrowed its options to either enlarging their downtown footprint to accommodate an enlarged jail or build an entirely new complex outside of the downtown area in a “greenfield” space.  Rather than increasing property taxes to pay for this project, the county is considering going to the voters with a request to impose a new county wide sales tax.  Like Grand Rapids, the county needs legislative approval to put this question to voters.  I am working with the county to draft the necessary legislation to gain this approval.

DNR Court Ruling Appeal

Earlier this week, the Minnesota DNR announced it would appeal a recent court decision which rejected key permits for the PolyMet copper-nickel mine project. I commend the DNR for appealing this harmful ruling, which would have a chilling effect on future business and economic development in our state. The PolyMet project is well overdue and I am hopeful the DNR’s appeal allows it to move forward and bring northern Minnesota a long-anticipated economic boost.

Line 3 Decision

Last week, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted in favor of moving forward on construction of the Line 3 pipeline replacement project. I applaud the PUC for paving the way for the Line 3 project to advance. This project has held up to exhaustive environmental study and continues to represent the safest way to transport oil to market. I will continue to closely watch its progress and I look forward to the jobs and economic activity it will bring to northern Minnesota.

Please Contact Me

With session underway, I will once again be sending out weekly email updates. You can also catch me on Almanac North on WDSE tonight at 8:00pm. And for radio listeners, I will be on AM 1320 KOZY each week throughout the legislative session. Finally, I was interviewed on KAXE Northern Community radio this week to discuss the start of session. You can hear that interview by clicking here.

My goal is to communicate as much as possible with our community in order to keep you informed of what I’m working on in St. Paul. I also value your opinions and want to know what issues are important to you, so please contact me with any questions or input you might have.

Talk to you soon,

Sandy