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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Joyce Peppin (R)

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Busy Week at the Capitol!

Friday, April 27, 2018

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Here is an update with the latest news from the Capitol.

In this Issue:

  • Sexual Harassment Legislation
  • Tax Conformity
  • School Safety
  • Around the Capitol
  • Community Events
  • Peppin’s MinnTriv

Sexual Harassment Legislation

This week, I unveiled new bipartisan legislation that would make Minnesota the first state in the nation to nullify the existing "severe or pervasive" standard that sexual harassment cases must meet in order to be actionable in court. Chairing the new House Subcommittee on Workplace Safety and Respect, the policies I am advancing come after several months of hard work, as we gathered insight and feedback from employment law attorneys and other experts who testified that this standard was a barrier to many severe sexual harassment cases moving forward in court.

The bill makes no changes to the existing state laws for what constitutes sexual harassment, but simply states that "an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment...does not require the harassing conduct or communication to be severe or pervasive." This simple but substantive change would give judges more discretion to proceed with sexual harassment cases that previously may not have met the incredibly high standard set by the Supreme Court in 1986. My bill passed out of the House Civil Law Committee last night with unanimous support.

This bill would make Minnesota a nationwide leader in combating sexual harassment. For too long, victims haven't been able to have their day in court as a result of this incredibly high bar for sexual harassment cases.

Additionally, the House Rules Committee also took up several changes to the House Discrimination and Harassment Policy, including policies to empower non-partisan staff to independently hire an outside investigator to investigate complaints, require that investigation results be submitted confidentially to the Minority Leader and Speaker of the House, and strengthen expectations for reporting and retaliation. An additional House Resolution directs non-partisan staff to establish a phone line and email address for complaints to be submitted, and for staff to make recommendations for a new training schedule for legislators and staff moving forward.

These policies send a clear message that discrimination and harassment won't be tolerated in the Minnesota House, and shouldn't be tolerated anywhere in our state. We want the Minnesota House to be a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for legislators, staff, media, lobbyists, and members of the public. These changes are a major step in the right direction.

MinnPost reporter Briana Bierschbach did an excellent job outlining the proposal, which you can read here. 

Tax Conformity

House Republicans unveiled our tax conformity plan this week that aims to simplify and reduce taxes for Minnesotans. With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress last year, conformity is far more complicated than in previous years, but we want to get this done right—both to ensure that hardworking taxpayers can take full advantage of state and federal tax relief, and also to prevent unnecessary headaches and hassles for tax filers next spring.

More than 2.1 million Minnesota filers will benefit from a tax cut in 2018 under our plan, and we are putting forward what would be the first income tax rate reduction in nearly two decades.

Highlights in our plan include:

  • Helping middle-class Minnesotans keep more of what they earn by cutting the second tier income tax rate from 7.05% to 6.75% by tax year 2020. This would mark the first income tax rate reduction in Minnesota since 2000.
  • Lowering taxes for people at all income levels by increasing the standard deduction from $13,000 to $14,000.
  • Protecting families by preserving a state personal and dependent exemption of $4,150.
  • Encouraging affordable homeownership by allowing a state-itemized deduction of up to $30,000 in property taxes.
  • Supporting hometown businesses and farmers by reinvesting extra revenue from corporate tax changes into Section 179 conformity and overall rate reductions.

School and Student Safety

On Thursday, the House passed legislation that prioritizes student safety. The bill includes our school safety package that provides funding and flexibility for our schools to make security upgrades, hire school resource officers, address student mental health, support suicide prevention training for teachers, and more.

In addition, our bill also includes a number of innovative reforms. We strengthen and clarify state law regarding teacher misconduct including prohibiting sexual relationships between educators and students, even if that student is 18; requiring periodic teacher background checks; and prohibiting the issuance or renewal of a teacher/administrative license or bus driver endorsement for certain felonies or gross misdemeanors involving a minor. While teacher misconduct is rare, there have been incidents that show we need to strengthen our laws. The safety of our kids always comes first.

Furthermore, our bill requires the Minnesota Department of Education to create a School Report Card —a one-stop-spot for summative and easily accessible school and district ratings that will provide families with a place to research, compare and help determine which school will work best for their child.

Finally, we bring more transparency to education funding by doubling the audits of school funding to track education dollars, which is critical as we work to lower our state’s achievement gap.

Around the Capitol

House Image

Met with ISD 728 Superintendent Dr. Dan Bittman and staff to learn and discuss their legislative priorities. Thank you for coming to the Capitol!

Community Events

Community Bingo

Come play bingo on Monday, May 14 from 1-3 pm at the Rogers Senior Center, where you can play for the new prizes and join in on the fun! It’s for a great cause, and raises money for the Seniors of Rogers. Cards are $.25 each with a limit of 6 cards per game. A variety of games are played with cash prizes of $5 per game and $10 for the final cover-all. Refreshments are served. Bring your friends and neighbors for a few hours of fun and get acquainted with other seniors in the area!

Peppin’s MinnTriv

Thank you to everyone who participated in the last Peppin’s MinnTriv. The question was: What is the record high temperature reached in Minnesota, recorded on July 29, 1917, in Beardsley, MN? The answer was 115 degrees.

Congratulations to Darryl Brehmer of Rogers who is last week’s winner.

Here is this week’s question:

The city of Saint Paul was originally known by this nickname, which was also given to settler Pierre Parrant.

The FOURTH correct response will be featured in the next email update.

***

In order to best represent our communities, I need to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time. My direct line is 651-296-7806. My email address is rep.joyce.peppin@house.mn and my mailing address is Room 459 State Office Building, 100 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55155.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Joyce

**Encourage your neighbors and friends to sign up for my email updates at www.house.mn/34A