Dear Friends,
With all budget bills passed, this week members of the House and Senate began conference committee work to resolve the differences between the two respective budget bills in each budget area.
Once their work is complete and the differences have been resolved, identical bills known as conference committee reports will be sent to the House and Senate to be adopted or rejected. If adopted, the bills will then be debated and very likely passed, at which point they will head to the Governor's desk for signature.
One note about the Tax Omnibus bill in particular: the Senate bill contains some provisions that were previously dropped by the Governor and House in their budgets; such as an extended sales tax to items like auto repairs, haircuts, baby Tylenol, and clothing. Many of you wrote to me in opposition to these taxes, and ultimately the opposition was so strong it led Governor Dayton to drop the proposal altogether.
It's not clear what tax provisions will be included in the final Tax bill. The House version includes higher taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and sports memorabilia in addition to an increase in the income tax. The Senate bill includes those items I mentioned, so there could be a mix of some or all of those provisions when the bill comes back to the House in the coming weeks.
For more information on the status of the conference committees, visit: http://bit.ly/121Nhh4
Home School Advocates Visit the Capitol
The other day, Juergen Dudek and his son Daniel from Germany joined me on the House floor. Juergen and his wife have been homeschooling their children for several years in Germany despite pressure from German government officials to give up the basic human right to educate their own children.
The Dudek family was visiting Minnesota to learn about the homeschooling freedom we have in our state and to share their story. It was my privilege to have them as guests on the House floor and welcome them to Minnesota.
The Dudek family meeting Speaker Thissen and other legislators on the House floor.
Road Work this Weekend
Significant road construction begins in our area this weekend that will affect Highway 35 and County Road 42. The anticipated closures are below. You can find more information about the detours by following the links.
Friday, May 3 at 10 p.m.
Southbound I-35E will close between County Road 42 and the I-35/35W/35E split. The roadway is expected to reopen by June 2. Motorists are encouraged to follow the signed detour using westbound I-494 and southbound I-35W.
Northbound I-35W will close between the I-35/35W/35E split and County Road 42 and will re-open by 5 a.m. Monday, May 6. Motorists will be detoured to I-35E northbound.
Saturday, May 4 at 10 p.m.
Southbound I-35W will close between Co. Road 42 and the I-35/35W/35E split and will reopen by 7 a.m. Sunday, May 5. Detour: Buck Hill Road and Crystal Lake Road in order to return to I-35.
Blood Drive
There's a community blood drive coming up on Monday in Apple Valley. If you're interested in making a life-saving blood donation, details are below.
DATE: Monday, May 6
TIME: 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION:
Apple Valley Fire Department
Held at Fire Station #1
15000 Hayes Rd, Apple Valley
Appointments can be made by calling
1-800-REDCROSS or online by clicking here.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Anna Wills
State Representative, District 57B